Future Plans
by Durriken
Summary: During the final clash at the Valley of the End, Sasuke sacrificed himself. Now a spirit trapped in the mortal realm, he'll follow Naruto as he gathers old and new friends on an epic journey of redemption. Will Sasuke be revived, or will his soul be lost?
1. It Begins

Future Plans

A/N: Updated this chapter because the first version sucked something fierce.

Chapter I: It Begins

**XX**

"So...whadda ya think, Sasuke?"

"About what? This? It's the same as last time, dead last. It's _always_ the same."

Cerulean eyes closed for but one calming second, then opened again. "I hate when they drag us here. Out of respect, I don't mention it but it's starting to wear on my patience…."

A grunt was his response from the person next to him. Sighing, Naruto leaned even more heavily against the tree at his back, one leg up, hands in his pockets.

"It gets harder and harder to keep them smiling after what happened," muttered Naruto with an almost lifeless twinge. "Coming here all the effing time ain't helpin'…."

"What, so you're regretting it then?" Sasuke wondered, standing next to him, arms crossed over his front. He, like Naruto, stared out at the figures of Kakashi and Sakura, the latter of which was hunched over the huge granite obelisk built to honor fallen ninja. "I'm pretty sure that goes against your idiotic '_shinobi way_', doesn't it?"

Naruto chuckled morosely. He would have punched that arrogant, raven-haired punk but he didn't have the will. The sound of Sakura crying was hard to drown out, almost annoyingly so, but he tried his damnedest.

"It...does. I just...I dunno, I just wish things could've turned out different back there…."

It was a sight to behold when the corner of Sasuke's lip jerked up in a smirk. "You and just about everybody else in the village. Gotta say, for an idiot, you got me _good_."

"Yeah, but I wasn't supposed to _get_ anyone," corrected Naruto sullenly, mentally wondering how long this 'session' would last. Last time he and cell 7 came here they didn't leave for six hours. Six hours full of crying...sobbing...screaming names of the dead...praying...it all took a mental toll on him and Naruto wasn't quite sure how long he would be able to last. "It was a simple retrieval mission...no one was supposed to die...to be lost….They were supposed to be _found_."

"Yeah, well...sometimes hardheaded people pay the ultimate price," said Sasuke almost mechanically.

Naruto glared at him. "How can you say that? Standing there with that stupid smirk—like you got what you wanted! Like it's a damn joke! _How can you say that and be okay_?" he yelled, his voice barely carrying over Sakura's weeping.

"Because," and Sasuke lifted his head, his hair catching in a cold zephyr blowing through the clearing. "Thanks to you…I'm _free_."

"Damn it! You bastard, you weren't supposed to die!" Naruto raged, feeling emotions long since bottled up begin to pour forth. His eyes stung. "Why'd you have to push me like that? Why couldn't you have just come back? None of this...none of this had to happen! _You did it_! This is all your goddamned fault!"

And what little sun there was struck the Uchiha's body, shining its iridescent light through his semi-transparent body; it refracted like a diamond and Sasuke smiled at the warmth filling him.

Tears were rolling down Naruto's whiskered cheeks now but he kept on yelling at the boy standing beside him, cursing him, hurling every type of insult known to mankind at him. But none of it made him feel better in the slightest and by the time he was through, he was on his knees, drained of will...just like last time.

Like watching an overactive child calm themselves, Sasuke stared at Naruto, then towards his former teammates. "In a way…I'm glad I died during that clash instead of you, dead last. I feel...I don't know why but I just _feel_ you'll do the ninja world more good than I ever could."

"Shut up," spat Naruto, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "It's not about—damn it…it's not about that…."

….Two months ago….

_The Valley of The End. Naruto clearly remembered the transformed creatures that he and his rival had turned themselves into, one deformed by pure hatred, the other by the threat of being abandoned. In the end, before the two of them clashed for the final time Naruto recalled Sasuke stating smugly that he wouldn't be able to even scratch his headband, a challenge Naruto planned on beating right then and there. He remembered how Sasuke's __Chidori __suddenly dissipated—he remembered his greatest rival of all time smiling, a shred of the innocent boy from long ago returning to his eyes—he remembered the horror he felt when Sasuke purposefully steered himself up—he remembered the cold scarlet liquid that splattered over his face—_

_He was screaming, crying, pounding the ground next to the body of his best rival, once best friend._

"_Why? Why didn't you follow through? You—you wanted this so bad and then you go and—_" _The rest of Naruto's words became garbled under his cries; he was speaking nonsensically, simultaneously clutching Sasuke's hand while berating him and shouting at the top of his lungs for help that never came._

"_I...I s-saw it," gurgled Sasuke, shivering where he lay. One hand was in Naruto's, the other covered the gaping hole in his chest. "I saw what I...what I was b-becoming…."_

"_Shut up! Damn it, quit talking!" roared Naruto, his body drenched in the rain, his strength all but gone. He would've have thrown Sasuke over his back and ran to the nearest village but from the waist down was numb. His vision was blurry, he wanted to pass out but Sasuke needed him now. "You'll be okay—you'll be okay! I swear!"_

"_To k-kill my rival...n-no...to kill my best friend," continued Sasuke in barely above a whisper. Everything from the neck down was dead already; he only felt warmth where he knew Naruto was desperately squeezing his hand. Why…? Why was it hard truths only came during moments when you couldn't take them back and try again? "I deserved this—"_

"_No you didn't!" Naruto argued back. The sight of so much blood splurging from his friend frightened him like never before. "You—it wasn't like that! You were confused! People don't deserve to die from being confused!"_

"_Obsessed...over him...wanted power...I—I…." Tracks of water to match Naruto's began to leak from Sasuke's eyes as the pain reached such a peak that everything began to brighten. Crying felt so nice…so freeing. "Naruto...I—"_

"_NO! Damn it, stay with me! Please—Sasuke, please! I wanted to beat you but—but not like this! I was supposed to beat you in a sparring match—full of people to watch you go down!" Naruto sobbed, leaning over Sasuke until they were face to face. "Please, don't do this…."_

"_Naruto...I can't see anything," croaked Sasuke, somehow managing to lift his free hand. His fingers brushed the whisker-like marks over Naruto's cheek and a smile broke through the pain, one that tore Naruto's heart beyond repair. "Friend," he struggled, rasping, "always...my...friend…."_

_His hand thudded to the moist earth and Naruto's eyes widened. "S...Sasuke…?" He called the name tenderly, putting a hand to Sasuke's cheek. The warmth was quickly fading yet Naruto didn't want to believe it. "Sasuke, I...you—you're just playing...right?" His subconscious told him Sasuke never played jokes and his face fell into a simpering frown. "No...you can't...friends don't leave their friends behind…."_

_His forehead met Sasuke's still chest and a wounded cry akin to a dragon's roar erupted from deep within, bursting almost painfully through his mouth to drown out the sound of the thundering storm. _

"_SASUKE!"_

Now, a little more than two months later, everyone with ears had heard about the legendary retrieval mission…and how the life of the one sought had been lost. Naruto missed a good majority of the chaos that occurred due to hospitalization but upon being discharged if he wasn't hounded day and night by those looking for him to recount his side of the tragedy it was being struck with accusations that he intentionally killed Sasuke because of his superior lineage.

"The hell you've put me through just so you could find freedom," muttered Naruto in the present, sitting cross-legged now with his back to his teammates. "Unreal. If you weren't dead right now I'd fuck you up somethin' fierce…."

While Sakura still soldiered on it was clear to all who knew her that a huge part of her life had been torn away leaving only a shadow of her former bossy, know-it-all persona. Compared to how bad she used to treat Naruto—always striking him at the slightest disturbance—this new attitude was even worse: she treated Naruto like he was a piece of expensive one-of-a-kind China. Whenever they were called together for a mission she went out of her way to protect him, even if it meant breaking rank or disobeying a direct order. Being the type of sensei that Kakashi was, he didn't write her up for insubordination considering her trauma. Everywhere Naruto went she was at his side, paralyzed at the thought of losing him as well.

"You know she actually stands guard outside the bathrooms every time I use 'em?" snapped Naruto, glaring up at Sasuke who lost his smirk at that. "Yeah, makes a good picture doesn't it?"

"Hn. Deal with it," came the sharp response. "Be grateful she didn't fall like a sack of potatoes, or worse yet, grow to hate you."

It was hard to find that as a silver lining but Naruto knew full well that if he didn't appreciate the little things in his bleak life he would hate everything.

Conversely, Kakashi treated Naruto no different. He didn't blame Naruto for what happened, nor did he offer any comforting words apart from, "Such is a Ninja's life." For that, Naruto was extremely grateful as sympathy was the last thing he needed, sincerely doubting his mentality would hold strong otherwise. He needed firm words to build him back up again and Kakashi was no slouch in that section, having been in Naruto's situation plenty of times in the past.

The thing standing over him that looked and sounded like Sasuke...was his spirit, his ghost, his chakra in human form—whatever the hell it was, Naruto didn't care. It created a sort of distraction while the healing took place. He began to see Sasuke again just after regaining consciousness in the hospital. He was overjoyed at first…until he tried to grab the Uchiha and fell right through him.

None of the rookie nine wanted much to do with Naruto, avoiding him like the plague, all of them except Shikamaru, Chouji, and Kiba. Hinata didn't shy away from him as well yet her family felt the publicity too muddled and forbade her to make contact with him, though she still did, and she suffered every time, and every time Naruto would curse himself, wishing she would just follow everyone else's lead and avoid him.

But he had to think. Would this go down in history? Him, once the village pariah, being the one who put an end to the illustrious Uchiha family line, the once proud police force of Konohagakure. With Itachi Uchiha supposedly rogue, that left only Sasuke to rise up and restart his clan from scratch.

"Guess everyone can give up that hope, eh?" said Sasuke, reading Naruto's mind and Naruto groaned.

One thing he hated about Sasuke was the fact that in death he had grown a strange sense of humor. Somehow, he was tied to Naruto through means neither could figure out yet it was causing some of the blonde's antics to wear off on the usually stoic Uchiha and vice versa.

"That's not funny, you ass."

"From where I'm standing it is. It's kind of comical seeing how much of an impact I had on this village despite how I acted. I mean, really, I was a dick but most everyone is all down and dour—I was actually expecting a parade or something after my death." Sasuke shrugged, ignoring the aghast look adorning Naruto's face. "Guess I did _something_ right after all."

If Sasuke had been corporal, Naruto would have jumped up and punched his jaw to the back of his head. He was trembling with anger that he wanted to unleash but he merely sighed it out and hung his head.

"It's not over."

Sasuke looked down at him. "Beg pardon?"

"You heard me. I said, it's not over." Now Naruto lifted his head again, his face ablaze with determination. "No, not by a long shot." He suddenly stood, brushing grass from the seat of his pants and fixed Sasuke with a victorious smirk. "I'm going to bring you back."

Sasuke blinked like Naruto had spoke in a foreign language. "Again I say, beg pardon?"

"No matter what kind of dick you were or what you said, you didn't deserve to die. It was an accident, a fucked up accident that I'm going to fix. I swear on my life that you'll breathe again."

"Dead last…I understand you get a bit loopy when you visit my grave but listen to yourself. You're talking about bringing back the _dead_, which, in case you didn't notice, I happen to be. I'm dead. You don't bring back the—"

"Other people may not, but I will," interrupted Naruto. "I've been working on this plan for a _long_ time—it's foolproof. Barely. _But, _if I bring you back you'll go through pain again, man. You'll be able to catch some disease, get stabbed with a kunai, blown up by an explosive note, or you'll more than likely be obliterated by Orochimaru...but at least that way it'll be your _own_ fault."

Being a part of his fragmented mind, Naruto could feel some of his excitement molding into anger within Sasuke, punctuated when the ghost of his best friend turned to face him, one hand balled into a fist.

"It was my own damn fault when I died in the first place, you dolt! I stopped myself and let you win! You beat me like you always wanted!" he shouted, his enraged voice never straying outside of Naruto's mind. "Don't go spouting nonsense like that because you're swept in the moment!"

"I didn't win a damn thing!" Naruto shouted back, refusing to back down. "I never wanted to beat you like that! God help me, Sasuke...I don't care what you say, I'm doing this. Friends don't kill each other—I'll bring you back and we'll have a real sparring match to see who's the best!"

Looking deranged with anger, Sasuke opened his mouth to yell, paused, then closed it with his usual indifference, turning to stare at the monument where Sakura and Kakashi had turned to look back at them. "Look sharp, dead last. Whatever you're planning, I'm pretty sure they'll have one of the final say-so's in it."

Naruto shook his head. "No, they won't. Even if Tsunade herself forbade it...it's going to happen. You're going to breathe again."

"N-Naruto?" sniffled Sakura, drying her eyes.

He ignored her as Sasuke chided him with, "Are you sure you've the brains for this plan? You do realize human life is a complex form of variables and ought not be tampered with, especially by a dead last like you. You might condemn my soul to hell."

"If it happens, I'll die and join you there so it won't matter," spoke Naruto without a shred of hesitancy.

With those hollow black eyes, Sasuke sized the blonde-haired genin up. After a few moments, during which Sakura and Kakashi had joined them, he smirked and turned away, beginning to walk towards the forest. "Well, alright then...we'll see, won't we? In the meantime I'm going to rest. Call me when you eventually need help or give up."

And like the morning mist, Sasuke's form faded as though he had never existed, leaving Naruto alone to deal with the two around him.

"Mind explaining, Naruto?" said Kakashi casually, and his only visible eye seemed to x-ray the blonde for any signs of deceit. "What was all the yelling for? Who were you talking to?"

"Yeah, you were pretty lo—wait a second…you're not the hurt are you?" flustered Sakura, grabbing his hands in hers. Despite everything that had happened, this new caring side of Sakura had turned what was only blind love for Naruto into something real, something that he felt white-hot behind his chest whenever she grabbed him like that. She flipped his hands over and gasped.

Confused, Naruto looked and wanted to laugh. Somehow, probably during his argument with Sasuke he had pierced the palms of his hands with his own fingernails. Groves of flesh had been dug out to the white meat; his hands were saturated with blood. Looking up, he could see Sakura about to have a conniption but thankfully Kakashi placed a hand over her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Before you go on your tangent, Sakura, let's hear what he has to say first," he offered. "Then you can kill him."

_Leave it to sensei_, Naruto thought with a weak smirk, snatching his hands back and hiding them in his pockets. He could feel blood seeping through the fabric and running down his legs and ignored it. "Sakura...Kaka-sensei...this might sound a little stupid—"

"Coming from you little is an understatement," interjected Kakashi and Naruto mentally thanked him when Sakura offered up a watery giggle. Nowadays her laughs were few and far between. Whatever had to be said to get Sakura laughing again was okay with Naruto, even if it was insulting.

"Right, right. Anyway, as I said, this might sound a little stupid but I've got a plan," he began, swallowing audibly, fearing what impact his next words would have. He steeled his nerve. "I have a plan and if it works—and that's a pretty big _if_—but if it does…it might bring back Sasuke."

Silence.

Only the wind whistled.

"Guys? Didn't you hear—?"

Sakura exploded. "_WHAT_?"

**XX**

A/N: I feel much better about this edit. The first chapter was killing me on the inside. Like 'you know you can do better than this—look at all those errors, you noob!' So, yeah.


	2. The Sasuke Retrieval Team Redux!

Future Plans

A/N: Edited.

Chapter II: The Sasuke Retrieval Team Redux

**XXX**

"Umm...are you positive about this, Tsunade-dono?"

"Questioning my motives, Kakashi? That's queer. Since when did you get upgraded into such a position to do so? Last I recalled, you were one of my faithful Jonin; you don't ask questions, you only follow directions."

Confused beyond reason, Kakashi took his gaze away from the dossier in his hands and pleadingly stared up at his superior officer, his one visible eye lowering in an attempt to win sympathy. "Alright then. Tsunade-dono...permission to speak freely?"

It was tough, struggling not to laugh as one of her more lovable Jonin squirmed before her desk. The light streaming in from the window behind her was subdued and after a tiring day of nothing but redundant paperwork she needed a little cool-down time, and wouldn't you know it there was a little problem that needed fixing.

She wanted to laugh at his fidgeting but kept it professional. "Of course, Kakashi. Thoughts?"

"Yes, many. For one, I think this is downright crazy," spoke Kakashi. He glanced at the report one last time before stowing it in his back pocket, resigned to his fate, and instead pulled out a familiar orange book. "I know you have a truckload of work to do but really now, bullying? I have enough on my plate without you adding to it, Tsunade-dono."

Now a smile graced Tsunade's porcelain face. She leaned back in her chair and eyed the Jonin. He always did impress her with his profound thought process—but then again, you didn't get into the bingo books of nearly every major village by power alone. "Fairly played, Kakashi. Recite the name back to me, won't you?"

There wasn't a need for Kakashi to pull the slip back out; he'd never forget a name like that, giving what it implied and the trouble it certainly promised to bring.

"_Crowa_. No middle or last name."

"Correct. You may feel free to further the name if you wish, I daresay the child will be in need of some dire nurturing," explained Tsunade and from a drawer under her desk she unearthed a thick manila folder, one fit to bursting with files and sticky notes upon other sticky notes. "This behemoth of a file is just for _one_ of those from _Moon-X_, most presently your new charge." She let it fall to the desk and the sheer weight of it caused the room to quake with a loud _THAM!_

The situation would have been comical to Kakashi if not for the fact that all of this—this seismic upturn of events—were made possible by the fact that his protégé were dead. Only two months had passed and already every major village in existence seem to hear the details, how the Uchiha and Nine-Tails supposedly clashed for one final time ending with a gruesome death.

Like a bad trip, Kakashi was thrown back to racing through the outskirts of the Konoha border, trying his hardest to get to his students before they took things too far. Pakkun was literally barking out courses, led by his nose, and, as he was sitting atop Kakashi's head, constantly pulled the Jonin's hair in the right direction.

"_Pak! I get it—I know where you're leading me!" he shouted through his sodden facemask, now worried both for his students and the possibility of being snatched bald. And it was true, the trail he was streaking over like lightning was indeed familiar, hauntingly familiar in that both Naruto and Sasuke would have their fight over the same grounds where he and Obito usually sparred._

"_Yeah…except we weren't trying to kill each other!" growled Kakashi and the fury that rolled from him temporary sideswiped Pakkun's senses so much that the dog whimpered. "Those idiots…."_

"Tsunade-dono…don't you think it's a bit early for a replacement? I know we live in a world of uncertainty but considering who…who _passed_, I think this calls for a tender approach," offered Kakashi, his gaze never once leaving the novel in his hand. As a matter of fact, despite the conversation, he began to slouch against the entry door, one foot up in a relaxed manner.

Now _this_ was interesting, and Tsunade remained silent for a few seconds, merely studying him. In all honesty, she figured Kakashi would be in shambles over the loss of his protégé but so far, outside of a few heartfelt words at the boy's funeral, he seemed completely at ease.

She had noticed a change in Naruto as well. Where once, that blonde-haired little ball of madness bounced all over the village pulling pranks and basically annoying the village to no end, he now kept mostly to himself. Oh sure, the pranks continued but instead of the juvenile water-bucket-atop-a-door trick, he had progressed into such cerebral pranks that Tsunade herself had been caught in them once or twice. She'd never tell a soul though, but enjoy a hearty laugh when others came complaining to her about it—that way she didn't feel quite so daft, caught in a teenagers trick.

Also, another unusual happening was that Naruto seemed to have found an invisible friend of sorts. Through the Third's crystal ball—whenever the blasted thing wanted to work for her—she would see him strolling through town having arguments with himself, cursing himself, or, most laughably, try to throw a punch at thin air. Maybe it was his way of coping with the longer distance now placed on him and the villagers since Sasuke's death. She didn't blame him for doing what he had to do but still, a mission was a mission and so he, Chouji, Kiba, Neji, and Shikamaru received a failing mark for it.

The order was to retrieve Sasuke. Not to kill him.

Conversely, the raven-haired boy's death had pushed Sakura into an abyss that she only now seemed to be slowly pulling herself out of. In the first month, she might as well have been a zombie, shambling along with a lifeless glaze to her once bright emerald eyes. She barely reacted to anything and showed neither joy, pain, sorrow, excitement; the girl had been reduced to a brick. And something about it greatly miffed Tsunade. She knew of Sasuke's immensely popular fanbase within most of the female kunoichi—hell, she had seen some of the older females making passes at the boy—but also knew he possessed a superiority complex longer than the pack of lies that led to the Sound village attacking Konoha. He treated everyone without rank as dirt, even the Hyuuga, and walked with his nose in the air.

This was by no means Tsunade's way of thinking 'the brat got what he had coming', but it explained the series of events that led up to his death. Caught up in the thirst for power, hating that Naruto seemed to be advancing fastest, actually willing to submit to one of the most dangerous S-ranked ninja's in the world…the list was long and bloody.

Point blank, if he treated you like the dirt under his shoe, why feel so downtrodden upon his death like a husband had been lost? Her mourning went well past the normal amount of grief.

It baffled her but, thank God, it wasn't her problem. As their sensei, it was Kakashi's. She smiled.

"You lose your precious student and you hardly shed a tear," she murmured softly, crossing her legs with an elegant flair. Even though she shared no romantic feelings for the silver-haired copycat, her coy side couldn't help but show itself when in his presence, especially when he paid more attention to that filthy book than her. The subject material was right in front of him for goodness sakes. "What's the logic behind that, Kakashi?"

As she knew he would, she saw his visible eye shoot up like a mouse for cheese, lingering on her thighs before slinking back to his book. "Do you really want to know? The truth might sound harsh, especially considering our relationship, and hurt feelings aren't my intent."

"Do I look like a politely confused genin trying to figure out why I failed the evaluation test, Kakashi? Or perhaps how you look when someone buys the last copy of _Icha Icha_ right before you can?" she added with a twisted smirk when he flinched. "A person cannot become a Kage if they are tender in feelings," she finished with a haughty sniff. "Now, what is it?"

Almost as if Tsunade had not spoken, Kakashi continued to read his perverted book, actually going to so far as to lick his thumb and turn to the next page. "No, Hideki—don't fall for her plan! She's only using those luscious breasts of hers to get your fortune! Fight the temptation!" he exclaimed in mock-rapture, clutching the novel to within an inch of his face.

A vein throbbed to life in Tsunade's temple; her hand clenched over the desk and the magnitude of her chakra caused a crack to burst in the middle. "Kakashi—" she started angrily but the Jonin suddenly slammed his book closed, flinging it at her. It skidded neatly over the desktop, colliding with her chest with such force she felt her girls vibrate. "What the—?"

"I saw this coming the moment they assigned you to be Hokage, Tsunade-dono," interrupted Kakashi in a deadpan tone, approaching the desk to plant his hands palm-down over a stack of important looking documents, "and to be totally, truthfully honest…I think this was the best outcome."

For the first time in recent memory while sober, Tsunade was confused. Something like a cog in her brain knew what Kakashi was trying to say, but the gear was too rusted to turn properly, thus leaving her with a furrowed brow, gesturing with her hand for him to continue.

"When Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were assigned to be my charges, I felt a certain…_chill_. It wasn't quite the same as when a ghost runs its finger down your spine, but more like when a particularly cold chill rushes past." Holding up three fingers, Kakashi began counting off: "Naruto is the spitting image of a younger Jiraiya, he even has toad summons. Last month you took on Sakura as your own personal apprentice—and ever since, for reasons beyond me her strength has risen." He shook his head at that. "And that leaves Sasuke," continued Kakashi almost bitterly. "He was a great pupil, bursting with limitless potential that could have changed the face of the shinobi world as we know it…just like Orochimaru."

A flash of pure rage crossed Tsunade's beatific face and Kakashi gave a grim nod. "Sasuke had talent in spades and he squandered it all for the sake of revenge. I talked to him countless times, telling him that rage as dark as his would only lead to destruction," and now Kakashi stood up straight, hands in his pockets. "I had unconditional love for the kid—it was thanks to his family that I even lived to see past my thirteenth birthday."

He put a finger to his forehead. "There's a revenge plot brewing up here, Tsunade-dono, and when the copy-nin of lore gets going, no one can stop him," he said unabashedly. "Even though Sasuke had been corrupted…he was still my damn student. Letting it get this far is inexcusable and Naruto's taking the brunt for something I should've forestalled as their sensei. He was trying to stop Sasuke, not kill him…."

"I know that, Kakashi," agreed Tsunade quietly, and she eyed the spot where his hands had been. The surface was slightly charred, a testament to the feelings he refused to show.

"I'm not sure you do," remarked Kakashi, an indifferent glint settling into his onyx eye. "From what Naruto told me, the moment they clashed, Sasuke cancelled his jutsu and actually_ dove _onto the rasengan. Furthermore, according to what Ibiki managed to get from interrogation, Sasuke came to his senses midway through and decided to end it there, not trusting himself enough to allow a second chance. That boy died a tragic death."

Those bitter words reverberated and a sudden chill invaded the office despite the rays of afternoon light flowing in. That much was true, if Naruto's word could be trusted. Tsunade remembered the gaunt look plastered over the blonde's face as he was dragged into the interrogation room fresh after the horror, how his legs were unable to support him. All the wounds adorning his frail body, all the caked on blood—she wanted to cry then; hell, thinking about it now caused her eyes to sting but there were more pressing matters.

"Crowa is your new charge as of today. He'll be arriving in Konoha tonight and tomorrow you'll spend the day introducing him to Naruto and Sakura. I've given her the week off so all of them could…_bond_." She used the word tersely, clearly doubting the success rate.

To that, Kakashi nodded militantly. "Trust me," he began, pulling out his book again, "I'm a master at forming teamwork. To quote Naruto, _it's my ninja way_. We'll pull together as a single mind and body or I'll kill them in the process."

"Spoken like a true cell leader," smiled Tsunade. While she smiled on the outside, she knew the moment Kakashi left that emergency bottle of sake under her desk would be making a surprise visit; that little trip down memory lane had opened tender wounds once again. "Alright then, that's all the tasks I have for you today. You're dis—"

The word barely left her lips when Kakashi reached forward, seemingly for her chest and she froze like a deer in the headlights; then his hand curved down, barely brushing the fabric of her shirt. He yanked open a random drawer and pulled out a mint bottle of sake. While he read the label to himself, Tsunade was struggling to speak, her lips floundering.

"Ah yes, _Ginjo-Shu_…now here's some quality brand sake. As expected of the Hokage," smirked Kakashi—well, his eye seemed to smile. "Go big or go home."

After jiggling the bottle and hearing that alluring 'slush' of liquid, he promptly left the room.

Once lost, Tsunade found herself as the door closed behind him. "HEY!" Her voice blared like a dragon's roar; the windows rattled dangerously. "IF YOU DON'T GET THAT SKINNY ASS BACK IN HERE—"

The door opened again and Kakashi reentered, sake in one hand and a chair in the other. After locking the door behind him, he took a seat in front of her and slammed the bottle down.

"I know as the Hokage you're staggeringly busy so allow me to save you for the rest of the afternoon." And without another word, he swept a good majority of her papers to the floor. "I have words from a certain blue-eyed blonde that may border on the line of lunacy. Supply the cups will you?"

Perhaps it was the fact that even with the mask on, Kakashi was strikingly handsome; perhaps it was due to the fact that the subject matter concerned Naruto; and then, perhaps it was the turn-on of watching a handsome younger man toss her work on the floor and basically say '_the rest of the afternoon, you're with me_'.

Whatever the case, two sake cups were instantly out in the open, faster than the copy-nin could blink.

As he cracked the bottle, she sat back with a voluptuous smirk. "I'm all ears. What's our little blonde bundle of chaos been up to lately?"

**XXX**

**Next Day**

**Konoha Library**

**6:32 am**

"You are _insane_. You do know that, don't you?"

"I've known it since day one. Point?"

"Huh. I didn't really expect you to admit it so easily. They usually try to deny it."

Naruto let slip an animalistic smirk. "See, crazy people don't know they're crazy—they're the simple idiots of this place. Now insane people have the smarts to know they're insane—they're the ones you probably wanna watch out for. A man with knowledge of himself is extremely volatile."

"Okay, where'd you read that line from? No way you came up with that on your own."

"Point?" Naruto repeated, amused.

"I think it's freakin' awesome! Dude, if this works do you know how much of a hero you'll be?"

"I'm not doing this to be a hero," muttered Naruto, rapidly flipping pages through a book. "I already told you guys…the Sasuke retrieval mission ain't over yet. It's just gettin' started."

Anybody up at the crack of dawn would find the Konoha library a strange sight, made such by the cluster of genin around a table in the far back of the gigantic building. The fact that a Hyuuga was present was already enough cause for some to nearly crack their necks getting a second glance, but to see Naruto Uzumaki, a boy proclaimed dead-last in the academy, with an actual book in his hands was nothing short of jaw-dropping.

Scattered around him were five more equally famous ninja. Unfortunately, their fame came with a failed mission and the death of a fellow shinobi. Thumbing through a shelf behind the blonde was Neji Hyuuga, his pale eyes taking in books that he had already read. He wasn't quite sure what to expect when Uzumaki had called him that day but this…wanting to bring back the dead? Even if he didn't stick to his 'destiny' motif anymore, some things _really_ were the way they were.

Sitting with his legs up on the table, Kiba sported a fanged grin, excited by the prospect of bringing back a teammate. He may not have been close to Sasuke but his primal instincts told him that the Uchiha had power—and Kiba always dreamed of _taking_ that power. His clan had sacred, secret techniques that he wasn't even sure the Hokage herself was aware of. The Third was. After all, he'd helped them perfect it after making them promise not to use it outside of their clan.

"This is gonna be _soooo_ sweet! Ain't that right, Akamaru?" The little vanilla colored dog at his feet yipped with just as much excitement.

"This is anything but sweet. It's troublesome out the ass," spoke Shikamaru, scratching behind his head. He stood behind Naruto, peeking over his shoulder at a book entitled '_Scrolls of The Gate Chakra's: Harness the Right Gate for You._' It's writing was complex to the point of causing a brain lesion but to the Nara, it was little more than child's play.

Shikamaru found the whole subject troublesome—actually, he found just being a ninja troublesome but this was a different matter. A _personal_ matter that caused the Nara to have nightmares over the fiasco that became his first botched leading mission. And with the murder of the last of the Uchiha…well, the shame and blame may not have been put on him but he felt it all the same. It really pissed him off to see people scorning Naruto and hissing out death threats when it was he, Shikamaru, who had been the mission leader, the one who was supposed to shoulder the shit end of it.

What was he, _chopped liver_? Unfit to be blamed alongside his comrade? That type of thinking only cemented his belief that his own sanity was teetering but the hell with it. For the chance to bring back a comrade, no matter how troublesome they've been acting, then he'd gladly join in Naruto's suicidal plan.

Luckily for them, the librarian was busy tending to an inhumane amount of weapons books returned earlier that day and was thus unable to reprimand the portliest member of their team for noisily crunching down on his chips. Chouji made a mental note to thank Tenten for her perfect timing, then suggest her to a good therapist for her addictions to weapons. His motives for rejoining the team were not as complex as the others. Shikamaru was there, and his reasons were good enough for him.

"So what's the first step, Uzumaki?" wondered Neji listlessly, turning to stare at the back of the blonde's head. "I assume you have a game plan having called us out here at this ungodly hour."

"Yeah, but I guarantee you guys aren't gonna like it. Worst case scenario, you try to stop me and then that's when things turn _ugly_." Naruto's answer was methodically spoken, already planned out, and that alone caused the five around him to tense. "Do you wanna hear it?"

"Are you gonna make this into a fight?" asked Kiba, slowly cracking his knuckles with a fanged grin. "Cuz if so, I'm game whenever, man."

"Won't be a fight, Kibble," smirked Naruto, closing the heavy tomb with a snap that blew dust into the air.

"Don't call me that!" snapped Kiba.

"Then quit eating out of Akamaru's food dish," muttered Shikamaru under his breath.

Growling, Kiba banged his fist down on the table causing a tower of Naruto's books to tremble. "Hey! I'll have _all_ you bastards know that kibble is dog-fortified with—"

"So you're basically calling yourself a dog," surmised Neji slowly, cocking an eyebrow. A smirk graced his lips when Kiba looked shot. "Yeah, smooth move, rover."

Before Kiba could retort, Naruto threw his head back, staring up into the mirror-like ceiling of the library, his mind racing. "Looking at it realistically…how far are you guys willing to go to bring back Sasuke?" he wondered offhandedly. "I need that answered before I tell you anything."

Neji turned to Shikamaru, who shrugged, before saying, "I guess that would depend on the stakes involved. What would you have us do to achieve this outlandish goal?"

Naruto smirked. "I'm already a pariah so whatever I do won't matter to jack shit. You guys, you got family and—"

"Okay, cut the clichéd bull and just tell us," snapped Shikamaru, placing his hands in his pockets. "That line's been said so many times it's not even funny anymore. I'll ask one more damn time: _what do we have to do_?"

"Track down Orochimaru."

For a moment there was silence as every eye widened to almost laughable proportions. The only one who spoke was Sasuke, who came waltzing from between the aisle next to them. He observed the faces of those trying to revive him and laughed. "So you told 'em, eh?"

In his mind, Naruto willed Sasuke to shut up. _Why couldn't you be the regular stony asshole I used to hate?_

A sadistic flare settled behind Sasuke's eyes. "Because having a sense of humor is nice for a change of pace. Sure pisses you off—"

"I'm in," said Kiba audibly, throwing his hand in the air. The look on his face was paramount; he wasn't joking.

All Naruto could do was stare. The only reason he had assembled this team again was because he felt it only fair that the ones who participated in the disaster know of his plans. He hadn't expected any of them to actually _join_.

Wordlessly, Shikamaru opened a pouch on the front of his chunin vest and out fell a miniature scroll that he unfurled over the table. The contents were blank. Narrowing his eyes, he glanced around at the ninja before him. "Seems Kiba was the only one crazy enough to admit to such a plan out in the open," he stated morosely. While Kiba looked confused, Neji nodded. "This is a special binding contract, issued to every chunin. It's usually reserved for the enemy by getting them to agree to terms you make. If they break it…." And it was here that Shikamaru fell silent leading the others to assume the worse. "It takes blood to work. Sign if you're serious because the effects are _permanent_."

And Shikamaru crunched down on his pointing finger without a second thought. In a flash, his name was signed in scarlet script.

Naruto blinked when Chouji, stuffing chips far too fast into his mouth, bit his finger. Pulling it out left a blood trail to his mouth yet he slammed it to the scroll and scribbled his name down in what looked like chicken scratch. "I'm in," he replied, crumbling his empty snack bag.

Sighing like it was a terrible chore, Neji came up behind Naruto, pricking his finger over one of the bookcase shelves. "I do _not_ shed blood lightly. Anything short of a death promise for failure and I'll be highly disappointed, Nara," he said reaching over Naruto's shoulder to sign his name upside down.

Still shocked, Naruto didn't think it possible to reveal ones nobility in their writing but Neji's was as beautiful as his clans fighting style.

Shikamaru nodded. "Trust me, the heading becomes clear when all those willing to sign do. Troublesome as all hell, I did give this some forethought."

As Kiba snatched the scroll, Naruto did a double take. "How the hell did you plan for something _I_ hadn't even thought of yet, dude?"

"The Nara boy's smarter than he lets on," snickered Sasuke yet no one could hear.

"Simple. Because _you_ were involved," answered Shikamaru passively, watching as both Kiba and Akamaru signed, the latter pricking one of his paw pads to do so. "I figured anything that involved Naruto Uzumaki…well, I'd better think of the impossible. And it don't get much more impossible-er than this."

"That's not a word, you know," pointed out Neji.

"Yeah, and apparently Ino doesn't have that glorious D-cup she's always bragging about either," argued Shikamaru and his random snap-back left the Hyuuga speechless, those clear eyes widening.

Just as Kiba put the finishing touches on his signature—his script was fairly impressive for someone of his background—the scroll suddenly grew a mind of its own, trembling like an earthquake was rolling through. The scarlet of their blood began to bubble and froth, hissing angrily—

"Uh, Shikamaru? What the hell is that thing doing?" Naruto asked with more bravery than he felt, inching back in his chair.

"Like I said, it's a high-level jutsu, almost of a sealing nature. It's only supposed to be used for criminals but I figure," began Shikamaru with a nauseous grin, "by the time this journey is through, we'll all be fugitives anyway."

"As long as I come back it don't matter to me," laughed Sasuke in Naruto's mind but Naruto couldn't hear properly.

Sure, he thought he knew the risks of his plan but when Shikamaru said it like that a ball of lead fell into his stomach and he started to shake. Doubt…damn, he _hated_ doubt. He just had to wonder, was it worth it? In the end, would everything be all right? What if they didn't resurrect Sasuke? What if they failed and wound up in prison, or worse, dead?

_Shit…shit, shit, shit….Quit shaking, damn it!_ Naruto yelled mentally, grabbing his arm under the table. He jerked when Shikamaru pushed the still-frothing scroll towards him.

"It activates when the last person signs," he explained, unclipping another pouch on his vest. A roll of gauze fell out and all of them took a strand to wrap around their bleeding digits.

When Naruto only stared at the scroll like it was a diamond-backed snake, Sasuke closed his eyes and the atmosphere took a drastic pitfall into frigid temperatures. The only ones who took notice were Naruto, Kiba, and Akamaru; Kiba glanced around with a cocked eyebrow.

"Where is it, huh? Where's all that bravado you had earlier when you told me, Sakura-kun, and Kaka-sensei that you would bring me back?" If looks could kill, the glare Sasuke was piercing Naruto with would have put the blonde six feet under. "Was it fake? Were you caught up in the moment of everything like I said? Just spouting stupid crap as usual, huh? Figures."

Something rubbery took hold of Naruto's throat making speech all but impossible. As he stared to the right at Sasuke, his lips floundering, the others had to wonder what in the world was making him act like that. They were blind to the spectral version of the boy they sought to see breath again.

"'I don't quit and I don't run—that's my ninja way'," Sasuke recited darkly. "Say it…say it or so help me God I'll haunt you into an early grave!" When Naruto remained silent, beads of seat curving his whiskered cheeks, Sasuke snapped. "Say it, damn you! You think this is just some fucked up memory of me going wild in your miniscule brain? This is my _soul_!" he shouted, slapping himself on the chest. "I didn't know why I came back to this dirtball called earth until you told me your plan—I was angry, oh yeah, I was pissed off but then I remembered all the times you would shoot off at the mouth, make retarded promises, and then somehow, _somehow_ pull through! Bring that back! You know damn well if anyone can do this, it's _you_! NOW SAY IT!"

"Naruto…?" Even through the ringing in his ears, Naruto could make out the uncertainty in Shikamaru's voice. "Wait," he began almost accusingly, his eyes growing slitted, "don't tell me you're not—"

With a _tham_ that rocked the entire table and sent towers of books tumbling to the floor, Naruto slammed his hand down, reminding himself of the time he stood up to Ibiki during the first part of the chunin exam. "I DON'T QUIT AND I DON'T FUCKING RUN AWAY! MY NAME IS NARUTO 'GOT DAMN' UZUMAKI AND THAT'S MY NINJA WAY!"

"Damn right!" cheered Kiba, punching the air with his fist. "Go on, you idiot! Sign your name already and let's get this over with!"

"Must you make us wait, Uzumaki?" said Neji with quaint smirk. "Always the slowest…."

Chouji said nothing, licking the finger of his left hand while offering a thumbs up with his right.

Nodding so hard he almost gave himself a headache, Naruto snatched the piece of parchment towards him. He tore a chunk from his thumb with his teeth, ignored the pain, and wrote his name in capital, jagged letters so that his stood out among everyone else's. "There! What happens now, lazy bastard?"

Choosing to ignore that jibe, Shikamaru merely pointed to the very top where words were making themselves clear, inked in the same glistening black as their signatures. There was no frothing, no bubbling; it just rose to the surface like a whisper.

As one, they all leaned forward to read the passage:

_The names of the ones who are written,_

_Are joined together, their acceptance willing._

_To this promise, they'll all be held,_

_Until the very end, until the very last bell._

"Well, that doesn't sound foreboding in the least," said Neji sarcastically, standing upright.

"Whatever, I think it sounds cool!" exclaimed Naruto, his previous hesitation gone. "What's all that fancy rhymin' supposed to mean anyway, man?"

Rolling the scroll back up, Shikamaru produced a black string from his pocket and tied it closed. "Oh, nothing much, really. Just saying that if we break this bond we'll be joining Sasuke wherever he is."

Where the others looked stricken, Sasuke alone snickered as the sounds of hurried footsteps echoed throughout the silence. "Cool. I could use some company."

"Like hell," muttered Naruto under his breath. He cringed at the sharp _click-clak_ of heels over the tiled floor. "Who in the hell is walking like—"

A woman had just rounded the corner and all movement ceased. Every breath caught as they realized who stood before them: Kaede Mikuru, her chest expanding like a balloon.

Kiba's eyes bulged. "Oh shit—"

"W-wait!" started Neji, sounding terrified for the first time in years. "Mikuru-sama, we were just—"

"YOU STUPID BRATS!" she roared and the sheer magnitude of her voice knocked all the ninja off their feet. At only twenty-four years old, Kaede Mikuru was a child of prophecy where the books and ledgers of Konoha were concerned. Like others in her line of work she was called a _Keeper_, someone who specialized in every document, every book, and every scroll the village had to offer. Her memory spanned light-years and her skill quickly surpassed the last Grand Keeper, her grandmother.

Even though she was the youngest of the organization, she took the throne with great dexterity. Unlike the Yamanaka who specialized in the mind, Keepers kept logs of different subjects and it was the Grand's job to keep track of everything. Tending to the Konoha library was not her jurisdiction—something of this level could have been passed down to a tier one Keeper—but she loved being surrounded by the books and wanted to be the first to read a new novel shipped in from other villages and lands.

"What in the _hell_ is on your scrawny minds?" she raged, bending over and scooping up books into her arms. "I could hear your depraved yelling _all_ the way on the other side of the building! All the cheering, the fist slamming, and then you have the _balls_ to actually spill my precious children!" By 'children' they automatically knew she was referring to her books. "Before I plant my fist knee-deep in your mouth, have you any words for your defense? It won't help whatsoever but I'm not as cruel as my grandmother. I'll at least listen."

Standing over them, Kaede was what one would call a 'tough' beauty, more than a tomboy but a woman who liked to dress up. Lengthy auburn tresses adorned her head and were tied into a back-length ponytail. Her face was smooth, almost as if carved from marble by the world's most delicate hands, and her eyes, a deep maroon, were narrowed like a hawk spotting its next meal. Unlike most Keepers, she wore nothing but bandages around her admittedly eye-catching bust—like the samurai of olden times—and then a pair of thigh-high shorts made from some of the finest black silk money could buy. Instead of shoes or sandals, she wore something called _high heels_, a new brand of footwear from an up-and-coming village of merchandise and goods.

Struck by her beauty, as he was every time, Naruto struggled to untangle his legs from Neji's. How could she go around looking like that and be perfectly okay? Didn't anyone find that indecent? Didn't anyone ever report her?

"Okay, first of all, she's the freaking Grand Keeper," probed Sasuke, reading the blonde's thoughts. "She could go around stark naked and no one except the Hokage would have the authority to question her. And besides all that…do you _really_ have a problem with how she dresses? I mean, really, as a man, do you?"

It was easy enough to ignore that question and focus on getting up on the opposite side of the table, anything to put some distance between himself and the alluring creature bearing down on them.

"I've given you forty-three seconds to reply," counted Kaede, leaning towards the young ninja. She merely twitched her nose and enjoyed how all of them jumped, including the Hyuuga. "You have seventeen more. Make the most of it before you—"

"RUUUUUN!" Naruto bellowed.

And it was like a herd of elephant had suddenly come charging in for all the noise Naruto and the others made as they hauled ass for the exit: they stumbled over chairs, sent heaps of books crashing to the floor, and were literally jumping over each others heads as they stampeded for that glorious strip of light filtering in through the glass entrance doors.

A sudden howl from behind caused the very floors to tremble and the chandeliers above to creak: "GET BACK HERE AND CLEAN ALL THIS SHIT UP!"

"Can't do that now, Mikuru-sama!" yelled Kiba over his shoulder, bolting on all fours like his canine companion.

"Yeah, duty calls!" echoed Naruto, skipping past Chouji by planting a hand on his shoulder ad pole-vaulting over; Sasuke was casually floating beside them, laughing his head off. Naruto glanced back only once and withheld a laugh of his own at the sight of that Grand Keeper chasing them down. "For a bear with sweater-puppets you sure are cute, Kaede-chan! Keep up the good work!"

And with an ear-shattering bang that caused many villagers to whip around, five ninja burst through the library doors, nearly snatching them off the hinges, and tore off in separate directions after promising to discuss things later.

As Naruto sped off towards the cell 7 training grounds, he couldn't help but smile the same as the spirit keeping pace with him. Kakashi wanted to introduce them to somebody but Naruto didn't care so much. No matter what, today would be a good day.

**XXX**


	3. Rent

Future Plans

A/N: To parlay any coming confusion, yes, this chapter is still part of Future Plans.

Chapter III: Rent

**XXX**

…One Day Prior…

Tucked just underneath the Land of Fire resided another land, one not as grand but just as old, established around the same time yet hidden throughout the years from all those whose rank did not exceed that of a Kage. It was called Moon-X, coined because it was founded under the birth of a blood moon. The X stood for the unholy unification and crossbreeding between man and animal.

Thus, Moon-X was birthed.

Moon-X could have very well been called 'the Village hidden in Forest' because that's basically what it was, a thriving economy built more than fifty stories above ground in the tallest, sturdiest trees any of the countries had to offer. Over the years, huts were built with clay imported from the village hidden in the rocks and dried to almost metal-like substance with a quick burst of fire.

The village had an almost arachnid architecture in the way of how lodgings and other building were connected. That was due in part because the founder of Moon-X had been a spider-hybrid, King Trant—he laid down the foundation for the village, initially using web as a means of transportation from building to building. Over the years, as each generation progressed, the webs came down to be replaced by zero gravity wires. They were strong enough to hold up to a hundred people on a single strand, yet delicate enough to be grabbed bare-handed and glide along easily without fear of your hand being seared off.

It would no exaggeration to say that getting around in Moon-X could have been considered the world's first roller coaster ride. On the other hand, the death toll was staggering. There were cases of a two-person collision (very rare nowadays as all wires come with signs indicating their direction), sometimes people didn't follow the proper holding procedures (loosen your limps up then grip firmly with both hands), and then there were just the idiots who died while trying to pull of stunts (i.e letting go of one wire and trying to 'hop' to another).

Naturally, Moon-X developed it's own twisted tournament, affectionately dubbed 'Zero Air'. Civil law laid down by older generations made it punishable by imprisonment to do freeform stunts unless you were a participant.

In the before years, segregation was a must in Moon-X. Even though the hybrids originated through human genes, the animalistic natures of cat and dog hybrids spawned nothing but vicious battles and wars that numerous times threatened to tear the village asunder.

Nowadays, hundreds of upon thousands of breeds and cross-breeds resided uninhibited within Moon-X's hallowed walls. Fights broke out everywhere like wildfire—it wouldn't exactly be a good day if none didn't—yet their current Queen was always on hand to resolve matters with her influencing smile and iron-fisted judgment.

Queen Nonohime Maya, the half-wolf hybrid. She had a lithe build, slim yet filled in the right places. With a porcelain face inset with a permanent smile and smooth features, her bright yellow elliptical eyes were forever wide, taking in anything and everything that happened in her village. Hair darker than the blackest night billowed just past her shoulders in an unruly fashion, like she had just jumped out of bed—and maybe she did. Poking through tufts of hair atop her head were two fluffy ears, the insides lined with white fur. As regular people all over the world had none, every bit of clothing that entered her kingdom had to be altered to allow whatever extra appendage her people had its appropriate place, meaning just above her rear, a hole had been cut into all of her outfits to allow a long, bushy tail to wag freely. Her silken skin was of a caramel persuasion, heavily doused in expensive creams and enticing to the touch. Many hybrids in Moon-X wore no shoes because their specific breeding might inhibit it, and the Queen was no exception, though she chose freely not to wear shoes, feeling her movements slowed by the confinement.

The Queen was nothing except a perfect picture of beauty in a humanized form, from the tips of her joyfully twitching ears, down to her toes. Of course, no public figure was without their problems….

"Queen Maya! _Queen Maya!_ It's past the time you requested! Have you dressed yet?"

Those frantic yells were instantly followed by a series of loud banging over the Queen's bedroom door, like sledgehammers trying to knock it down.

On the other side, still snuggly wrapped up in her covers, Maya cringed, curling herself up into a tighter ball. When the banging continued, she sighed, wondering just what in the hell had possessed her to schedule a meeting so early. She didn't want to open her eyes knowing the shambles she would see. Her chambers weren't as 'royal' as her predecessors would like everyone to believe—they were downright filthy. Her bed was situated underneath a window that overlooked the entire village, yet before it lay nothing but mountains of unwashed clothes, bottles upon bottles of milk, and paperwork that desperately needing filling out.

"Queen Maya! This is important!" called the voice again, almost pleading.

_Isn't it always?_ thought Maya, but she sat up all the same, ruffling her flyaway hair and smacking her lips with a content smile. Another day, another bottle of milk, she figured, and when she opened her mouth she let loose the loudest yawn ever conceived, one that acted as an alarm clock for many of her citizens within a two mile radius. It sounded like a mix between a wolf's howl and bear's roar.

The banging instantly stopped leaving only her yawn to reverberate throughout the room. Her nose twitched, catching the strand of sweet milk that wasn't sour. All previous thought lost, she bounded to the edge of her bed cursing its size. She had to roll over at least three times just to get out of it each morning.

"Milk, milk, milk, milk…." The word fell from her mouth repeatedly, her honed eyes scanning the wreckage that was her room for that one particular bottle of—"Ah-ha! There you are!" She leapt like a cheetah, disappearing under a mound of clothes.

"_THE HELL ARE YOU ALL DOING JUST STANDING AROUND FOR_?" boomed an irate voice and Maya popped up like a gopher amongst the clutter, a glass bottle of milk in one hand with a trail of it dribbling over her bottom lip. She smiled; she should've known _he_ would come sooner or later. Even now, she could hear her terrified underlings trying to reason with him.

"B-b-but Master K-Kazu—we were tr-trying to g-get the Q-Queen up and—"

Licking her full lips slowly, Maya couldn't blame them for cowering like the whipped dogs they were. The man known as Kazu pretty much scared the spit out of anyone regardless of breeding or standing.

"Then what do you do if she's not coming out, you fool? You freaking go _in_! Why's that so damned hard to comprehend? We go through this same routine every blessed morning—day after day, month after month, year after _fucking_ year!" the voice raged, and Maya could practically feel her council members wetting themselves; she smelt it actually. "You know her morning instincts are shit—do something about it other than knock the polish of the door! You idiots go back to the interrogation room, I'll bring the Queen. _Move it_!"

And without another word, the door to her bedroom was kicked open, banging against the wall. Sporting her everyday smile, Maya watched as a lone figure ventured into the 'mess' that was her room…yet he strode in backwards.

"Is this a new trend or something?" she wondered, standing with a yawn. "Did I not get the memo?"

The man shook his head almost pityingly. "Apparently, Hime, you didn't get the memo that one typically goes to bed with _pajamas_ on. Pajaaamaaas," he repeated slowly, like the Queen were mental, "nighttime clothing used to prevent instances like this right here?"

Eyes widening even further, Maya looked down and sported a fanged grin. Indeed, she was naked, her skin glistening like a diamond as light from the bedside window struck her flawless body. After a few seconds, she shrugged and turned around, bending over to retrieve any two pairs of clothing that didn't completely scream 'I forgot to do laundry'.

"You know how much I despise clothing, Kazu," she said lightly, humming to herself.

"Regardless of whether you like it or not, Hime, we're trying to bring our species to the light, remember? The whole point of this plan is to…_humanize_ ourselves so we can come out of hiding. That's what our founder, _your_ grandfather, wanted from the beginning. As successors, it's our duty to—" Turning around, Kazu choked mid-sentence when he caught sight of the Queen, her full, bare ass pointed towards him.

Sniffing the air, Maya glanced back, not at all surprised to see her subordinate gazing at her, his face flash-frozen, mouth slack. Analyzing him methodically, she figured Kazu wasn't a bad looking man. He was taller than her at six feet with shaggy dark hair that flew all over the place; he managed to pull the back-end into a horsetail. He too bore wolf ears atop his head except his right one had been clipped near the base, a souvenir from his last bout that he wore proudly. Unlike her, however, his eyes were different, a clear indicator to his horrible birth. His left was elliptical and golden while his right was crimson with a cross-shaped iris.

Ignoring that, she gave her backside a little shake, snorting when he scowled, scarlet flooding his cheeks as he tore his gaze away. "Kazu…you would do well to mask your lust. It's thick and hot, burns my nose."

"I see no need to, Hime, but I'll refrain myself from burying my face in your hind quarters…as usual. That's another good reason why it's good to wear clothes. Besides trying to fit in with the rest of the world, it hides the strong pheromones you're giving off. I daresay that I'm not completely immune to it…."

"Flatterer," laughed Maya. He spoke truth. She was in heat—damnedest time for her cycle to begin, too. As Queen, she couldn't very well lay about with any man—hybrid—she wanted to and still uphold the Moon-X standard of regality that her predecessors had worked so hard to build. She had come into this world less than sixty years ago yet thanks to a certain jutsu learned over the years, she looked not a day over twenty-five. Kazu wasn't a bad catch—in fact, despite his stigma, he was still shockingly handsome but certain elements prevented the two of them becoming a union…even though he had seen her naked like this thousands of times.

After a bit of tugging, Maya unearthed a pair of purple hakama bottoms. She tentatively sniffed the seat of them, frowning when her own fragrance clogged her nostrils; to her, the smell was seductive, a mixture of sweat and her own natural scent, which turned heads regardless. Unconsciously, she took a deep inhale and—before she acted on what her nether region burned for—had to firmly remind herself that Kazu was still in the room and there was a meeting that needed her presence to begin.

This was going to be a very embarrassing day indeed, and all she could do was smile. If she could smell that intoxicating scent then so would others—some hybrids, like those belonging to her breed, possessed abnormally high olfactory senses.

"As I'm sure you're fully aware, you saved the lives of my council members," she whispered.

"Naturally. Why do you think I'm the only one who came in?" he replied, waltzing over to her vanity mirror. Wordlessly, he stared at himself and Maya automatically knew what caught his attention when his jaw clenched. The stigma…it throbbed relentlessly, like someone stabbing him in the eye with an ice-pick. He called it unbridled torture. "What kind of brother would I be if I let good-for-nothing idiots like that see you when you're clearly so…so…." Smirking at her butt in the reflection, he indicated to a spot just below his waist. "You know what they say, Hime. Incest is best—keep it in the family."

_That had to have been the first joke Kazu's told since his birth_, thought Maya as the two of them walked up a spiraling staircase towards the 46th floor. In Moon-X, a castle had been erected, one of the rare buildings that actually stretched from the ground up into the sky to mingle with the others; with that length the citadel held fifty floors yet no one, not even Nonohime Maya had been down past the fortieth as her predecessors had deemed it fit to lock away the portion of the castle that did not reside in the trees like the rest of their village. Many mysteries and legends surrounded her castle—of which, she took up personal residence on the 42nd floor—but none knew the true reason.

"Remind me again, Kazu…where are we going?"

Just ahead of her by a few steps, Kazu jerked his head upward. "Our destination is the 46th floor, Hime—"

"I've asked you numerous times not to call me that insipid name," she suddenly snapped, her smile growing wider. "I am not a princess anymore—I am the Queen."

"If you didn't have such a ridiculous name to being with then maybe I wouldn't, _Nono_hime."

It took a fair bit of self-control not to simply take a grisly crunch out the back of Kazu's neck. "Better Nonohime than Kazupolikame—"

Growling, Kazu spun around and slapped a hand to his sister's mouth, the look on his face murderous. "You promised me," he spat, leaning in closer and Maya saw that his stigma was glowing bright as a star, the cross seemingly throbbing. "You promised you would never utter my full name…."

Maya's jaw twitched and Kazu snatched his hand back leaving a spatter of blood over her lips, which she hungrily licked up. "Tasting a bit sweet today, Kazzy. Enjoying our fruits, hm?"

A pool of scarlet had gathered in the center of Kazu's palm and he stared at it with narrowed eyes. The pain was minuscule, and he thanked her for it. Odd as it sounds, any pain that took focus away from the constant agony of his stigma was worth it. "Did you have to bite _that_ hard? It'll be a while before that heals, Hime…."

"Hey, you started it," she retorted, accepting his silent thanks with a simple nod. "Your actual name has over thirteen syllables. You should know by now that I am _far_ too lazy to even begin to remember it all, much less speak it. I think mother was drunk when she named you, honestly."

"Do not speak of our mother in such a way, Hime. I don't care if you are the Queen now."

The two of them stepped off the stairs into a cobblestone hallway lit with torches in cast-iron brackets. The flame did little to provide heat in this cold hell—and why should it? This was the hallway prisoners were dragged down to interrogate. The ghastly atmosphere rose not even a shred of fear or apprehension within the siblings of royalty. After their macabre upbringing their mental barriers were nigh unbreakable.

"Am I actually hearing you right, Kazzy? Your defending the mother that wanted to throw you to the lion breeds of Moon-X? Surely you jest…."

"I never jest, Hime. No matter the treatment, she gave me life. Without her, I wouldn't be here breathing," he reasoned calmly, his breath escaping in a frigid fog. "I owe her that much…."

Maya had just opened her mouth to speak of his stigma but closed it figuring enough was enough. "How much longer will your chakra last?" she asked, her toenails clicking over the ice-cold floor.

Kazu grunted. "It'll hold."

"Good. It wouldn't do so well for the victim to see their interrogator change into a little kid."

As Kazu gripped the blisteringly cold doorknob, he nearly bit his tongue off. He had used his wounded hand. "Okay…now I'm _pissed_."

"Better to go in pissed off the bat, I say," said Maya approvingly. "Let them know you're not playing around before I make a pez dispenser out of their neck."

**XXX**

Scattered around Moon-X were more than six practice areas where breeds could hone their specific species' skills. In the before time, a clan would have to reserve an arena due to the high amount of instinctual clashes. Nowadays, since the previous rulers reign, anyone anywhere can use an arena. Made sense. Damn fields about were the size of four football fields.

In training arena 4, next to a blue-water lake stood three little hybrids, their feet just over the edge, eyes closed to the zephyrs carrying a multitude of fascinating scents. Cool water splashed over their feet and the only girl, the one in the middle, flared her eyes with a happy laugh.

"Yaaay! They killed 'em!" she exclaimed joyfully, punching the air with her fist.

The boy to her left sighed, his shoulder sagging. "Drats…it happened too quick. She could have at least dragged it out a little more…."

The remaining boy on her right scowled. "Yumi, Ban! The _hell_ is wrong with you two? You shouldn't delight in others suffering!"

Confusion marked Yumi's face. "What's got your panties in a twist, Rent? He was a ninja from one of those _other_ lands. Tried to sneak in and got caught—what did you expect to happen?"

"I'm not saying he shouldn't have died," said Rent tersely, "I'm saying life is _precious_, and the loss of one is not something you jump around yelling 'yaaay' for!"

"It is if they're sneakin' around our home!" Ignoring him, Yumi turned to the other boy. "Ban—which land were they from? Could you tell?"

"Yeah. Kirigakure. He slipped past the other clans but not mine."

With tired eyes, Rent stared towards the sky, able to see past the scattered clouds into a universe darker than blood yet brighter than anything he had ever seen. It gave him hope; the corner of his mouth jerked up in a half-hearted smirk. Rent was a member of the dog clan, subservient to the wolf clan. His cream-colored ears weren't as sharp as those of the master clan but his eyesight was hailed upon as nothing short of prodigal. A short tan-colored tail protruded from the seat of his pants, the tip like a dollop of vanilla cream. His clothes caught eyes left and right as he fully believed in adapting human ways: he was dressed in a hugging black tank-top with a pair of tan shorts that ended at his ankles (they were actually pants but ordered too long so he cut the legs) and regular zori.

Unlike his teammates, Rent had a longing to mingle with the humans—to find a place where he belonged, because it sure as hell wasn't here. First of all, the idea of being a slave to someone else never stroked him in a good place and secondly, his liberal ideology hadn't earned him praise whatsoever. He valued life, his people couldn't care less (if Yumi was any example); to him, not every battle had to end in shed blood or death; to his clan, it was looked upon as a great honor to die in combat.

_Excuse the hell out of me for wanting to live long enough to make a difference,_ he thought, his mocha-tinged eyes narrowing.

Stretching without a care in the world was Yumi, a girl that Rent felt pretty sure didn't receive enough oxygen as a kid. The girl was a straight sadist and had murdered more people than her years on this earth, and she was only fourteen. Where Rent had russet colored hair, hers was a glistening violent, done up in a sideways ponytail by a pink butterfly clip. Two elongated ears jutted from the top of her head, white in color yet pink on the inside, the right one bent forward at an angle; just above her rear sat a puffy white ball that attracted Rent's eyes far more than he would ever admit. What made Yumi the talk of Moon-X was her cutthroat instincts in battle despite her being part of the rabbit clan, a clan renowned for their soft-spoken kindness and tender touch. Yumi busted that stereotype out the wall and beat it to death, literally.

The little terror thrived on carnage and bloodshed and made it a point to schedule _Arecna_ duels every time she managed to open her eyes from the previous one. Arecna duels were pretty straightforward: duels between opposing clans, where bad blood was made instinctually rather than based on current feelings. To her name, Yumi had done away with more than seven members of the snake clan and over ten from the lion clan. What sickened Rent was that none of them had harmed her or her current family…she just felt like it.

_That girl is a freak of nature_, thought Rent, sneaking a sideways glance. Even though he abhorred her ways, Rent could not deny that she was pretty. Her smile was infectious, like a little diamond covered in the mud that was his life. Unlike Rent, Yumi dressed according to her clans features: a halter top of azure that allowed for flexibility, a pair of satin pants that billowed as a gypsies' would, and no shoes. Her clan had _big_ feet…well, maybe not so much big as they were _long_. Perfect for kicking.

Rent's final teammate was Ban of the lion clan. Little bastard was considered something of a fighting genius, adaptable—hell, he'd have to be with Yumi constantly challenging him. Being next in line to take the throne for his clan meant a lot of things for Ban, things which, to him, amounted to little more than the dirt underneath his feet. Fighting, that's all Ban liked to do, that's all he _wanted_ to do. He had the ears of a lion, yet the nose of a bloodhound—something Rent found extremely odd but figured somewhere down his family's line there had to have been some mixed breeding—and a fairly lengthy tail wafting behind him, longer than Rent's. He wore square-rimmed glasses, which hadn't been properly fitted and thus kept slipping.

"Pain in my ass," muttered Ban, pushing them up for what felt like the thousandth time.

"Eh, your fault," smiled Yumi, dipping her toes into the water. She shuddered with ecstasy. "Going so far as to use a humans method to obtain sight—I'm surprised your clan hasn't booted you out yet."

"I'll _boot_ you if you don't button that yap, chick."

To his claim of loving the thrill of the fight, Ban dressed accordingly: a long strip of black cloth tied around his forehead with trailing ends, a plain white T (covered in splatters of blood from numerous hybrids, including Rent and Yumi), sagging crimson pants, and bandages around his feet.

"Remind me, Yumi, that when this is over, I have some secret admirer letters from my clan to give you," said Ban with a tell-all grin, pushing up his glasses.

Now on her knees, splashing handfuls of water over her face, Yumi nodded excitedly, her long ears flopping back and forth. "Awesome! More death threats! They never get stale and they're always funny!"

Personally, as Rent struggled not to let his eyes stray to Yumi's bouncing ass, he couldn't figure out the joy in being handed letters from people who wished you nothing more than a gruesome death and then to rot in the flaming pits of hell. He'd seen the letters that many clan heads handed Yumi—the freak liked to hang them up in her room like posters or something—and suffice it say, each and every one of them left him feeling queasy.

"Hey, hey, Rent!" she called happily, jumping towards him.

"Ugh—!" When she threw her arms around his neck they nearly went toppling to the ground. Despite her size, Yumi had all the density of a boulder due to her strict training regimen. "W-what do you want, pest?"

"Whadda ya think Queen Maya's gonna have us do, huh? Aren't you guys excited?" she gushed, turning from one teammate to the other, her ears whipped into a frenzy. "I bet it has something to do with that corpse from Kiri—yeah, I bet it does! Why do you think she gathered us—wait! Wait, speaking of that, where's Crowa at all of a sudden? I miss him! I hope he misses us cuz I know I miss him! Weren't we supposed to bring the—"

If Rent could have reached the kunai pouch strapped to his right thigh he felt quite sure he would have slit the girls throat—anything to shut her up. Her voice had risen to an almost owl-like screech that pierced his ears like glass. Just over her head he could make out Ban, laughing under his breath and pointing.

"Keep laughin', see if this dog don't become the next king of the jungle, Ban," snapped Rent.

Looking furious, Ban had only opened his mouth when a howl ripped through the air like an assassin's dagger. At once, Yumi straightened up, her face wiped blank; Ban snapped his lips shut; Rent merely shook his head with a sigh and turned towards the lake. The water was disturbed, splashing and frothing angrily.

"They're here," he announced and instantly, two figures appeared in almighty splash of water that sent waves crashing everywhere.

One of the figures was dressed in a flowing ceremonial gown of pristine white, Queen Nonohime Maya, while the other was shorter, only coming up to her waist and dressed in Moon-X's war garments, General Kazu. Exhibiting flawless chakra control, the two of them trekked across the waters surface until they stood before the three little hybrids.

After a moment of silence, Kazu took an extra step forward. "Alright. You three little balls of _shit_ have exactly six seconds to bow before I split your spines. Six…five—"

"Wow, Kazu, I can feel the love already," spoke Ban, though they all followed through with the motions, arching over until their noses scrapped the grass. "Good afternoon, Queen Nonohime."

Like recordings, Rent and Yumi echoed his words and they straightened up. Even though he knew his position in the hierarchy, for Rent seeing Kazu in his _original_ form made it extremely difficult to take him seriously. According to Queen Maya, the adult looking Kazu they had first met a month ago was nothing more than an illusion, a technique from the other major lands called a '_genjutsu_'. The three of them didn't know a genjutsu from their ass but were eager to learn, if only for the sole purpose of using it for pranks.

Kazu stood before them, only inches taller yet with that same off-putting scowl that seemed forever etched over his mouth. At first they thought him somewhere in his twenties. Born right before his mothers death, Kazu was only sixteen…sixteen and already acting like he ruled Moon-X.

Something hard struck Rent upside the cheek and his vision blurred. Pain rendered him paralyzed and he was falling sideways before he knew what was happening. _Fuck…what was that…?_ Halfway to the ground, he caught his balance and stumbled, wiping blood from his bottom lip.

"Damn good right hook, Kazu," complimented Ban.

It had been a good day, Rent figured, his hands curling into tight fists. _Had_ being the keyword. Without even having to guess, he already knew why Kazu struck him: because the arrogant little prick disliked the fact that Rent saved his sisters life four years ago. His screwed up logic made it seem like a blow to his own sense of pride for not being the hero.

_I lost my parents during that attack and all this bastard did was bitch and bitch_, Rent thought fiercely, spitting.

Hand to her mouth looking horrified, Yumi scrambled to Rent's side, running her tongue the length of his bottom lip to catch his blood. She believed it to be a rare delicacy. "Rent, are you okay? Did it hurt?" she asked, upset and flustered.

Had this been any other time, Rent was quite sure his instincts would have caused him to _devour_ the little rabbit—she smelled sweetly of vanilla—but as it was, anger boiled the blood in his veins and he bared his fangs in a fierce growl. His pupils flared; the hair on his ears and tail bristled—

Ban snorted. "Ah, shit. Rent's 'bout to go primal!"

"When your Queen shows up, wipe that ugly expression off your face and pay attention…or you'll get hit again," said Kazu coldly. As far as excuses go, that was a pretty damn good one.

"Don't do it, Rent!" cried Yumi, grabbing him by the waist in attempt to stop the rage-fueled canine hybrid. "If you attack a royal you could get the death penalty!"

Still, Rent managed a step forward. "We all gotta go out sometime. Me and him'll be going _together_."

"No, no, no! You don't want to die that way! You supposed to die at my hands! Remember? You _promised_ me!" the rabbit screeched. "Your blood is too sweet to be wasted on him—he won't enjoy it like I will! Rent—_don't_!"

This was a scene of enjoyment to Nonohime who found immense pleasure in watching as one of her more loyal servants struggled to get at her brother. She could sense the latent power hidden within Rent, and also knew that bringing Kazu with her every time she went to see him would unleash it sooner or later. As it stood, there were pressing matters that needed tending to.

"Rent, stand down," she uttered, and her harmonious voice stilled the little hybrid causing Yumi to fly into his backside and bounce off. "And you, Kazu, kindly refrain from laying hands on these three for the time being."

"As you wish it, Hime," said Kazu with an elegant bow.

"This ain't over," said Rent, plainly ignoring Yumi who had attacked his chin hungrily, licking every inch clear of blood. "Yumi—_blech_, your tongue went in my mouth—for God's sake, woman, I'm trying to—"

"Suck it up," said Ban, relaxing somewhat. "You're a man, ain't cha? Men take their _lickings_ without a struggle," he chuckled.

"Such an oddball collection of little hybrids you all are." The moment Maya spoke, Yumi leapt from Rent and assumed her place in rank. "But that's the main reason I called you three together—"

"We used to be _four_," said Ban, lifting a finger but pointing at nothing.

"You _cur_!" spat Kazu. "You dare interrupt the Queen while she's talking?"

Ban blinked. "Cool your jets, man. I'm just asking a question."

"Stay yourself, Kazu," ordered Maya. She nodded at Ban. "As you were, young one."

"Well, I mean…what happened to Crowa?" wondered Ban, scratching behind his head nervously. It was clear he hadn't expected the Queen to side with him. "It's just…we kinda miss him and all…I guess."

"Of the four of you, I've handed Crowa over to the leaf nin of Konohagakure—"

"_What_?" Yumi damn near flipped her lid, both her ears jumping up in alert. "That's where Crowa is right now? Amongst the enemy? We've gotta get him back!" she yelled, looking about ready to go charging off on her own. "Who knows what they're doing to him right now—they could picking his _brains_!"

"Are you high, chick?" Ban asked over her yammering. "Or just naturally stupid?"

"Calm yourself, young one," whispered Maya, lifting a single hand. She then waved it over to Kazu who folded his arms over his chest. "Kazu here will give you the full details."

"Oh, good God, wake me when he finishes," uttered Rent loudly.

"I special ordered a muzzle just for you, Rent. I hear that's how you train dogs who won't shut up," responded Kazu, stepping forward. He looked them head to toe as though sizing them up. "Alright. As you all now, fourteen years ago our King was kidnapped by a mysterious ninja, which led to Queen Maya's forced sovereignty. Notice the wordplay there: kidnapped, not killed. Thanks to information gathered from the Kiri-nin who foolishly tried to sneak into our land"—Yumi suddenly let out a loud cheer—"we know that our King is alive, albeit trapped within the body of a Konoha-nin."

"Get outta here," said Ban, pushing up his glasses to wide eyes. "Our King is…you mean, the Nine-Tailed Beast of Nature is alive?"

"Yes. Whoever abducted him had to have strength the likes of which we haven't seen since our first King and the first Hokage fought over land." Pausing, he dug into his pocket and pulled out a single slip of paper. "Our King is currently trapped within the body of one Naruto Uzumaki, bound by a rather powerful technique that cost them the life of their fourth Hokage, one Minato Namikaze."

At first, disbelief took hold of Rent's heart and he couldn't breath properly. The Nine-Tailed Beast had been the most powerful hybrid within all of Moon-X's history, the creature singlehandedly responsible for their progression through the decades into a flourishing community. He brought peace to the clans despite being a fox himself and ruled with a firm touch, much like Queen Nonohime. Fourteen years ago, there had been a massive raid against the village; countless lives had been lost, homes were obliterated, and their King, the Nine-Tailed Fox, was abducted through means that still confused Moon-X's top researchers.

Back then, due to their innate animal abilities, the people of Moon-X saw no need to learn about chakra and the practice of martial arts. After the attack on their homeland, Nonohime passed a law to her people requiring everyone to practice chakra control to a level where they could flawlessly perform the 'walking over water' exercise. Out of this rule, Rent, Yumi, Ban, Crowa, and Kazu were selected from a crop of other hopefuls to be the undertakers of further intense chakra study.

Less than five weeks had passed and already Kazu was on to actually performing different jutsu's while Rent and his team had progressed to walking up trees.

"Fate shines upon us as most recently, a very important clan member in Konoha has fallen. A boy named Sasuke Uchiha. Curiously, his death has had a profound effect on the other major lands—we're speculating he must have come from noble heritage or something of the sort. With his passing came a vacant slot on one of their 'genin' groups, cell number seven, ran by the famous 'copycat' ninja Kakashi Hatake who just happens to mentor the vessel our King is trapped within."

"Then why Crowa?" asked Ban abruptly, unable to hide the twinge of jealously in his tone. "I mean, we were all studying this stupid thing together, right? So why him?"

To his question, Kazu sighed. "Although mentally unstable, Crowa is part of the fox clan and as such, has a natural affinity with our King. Out of all of you, he alone has the ability to sense our King, to _feel_ our King. It took a ridiculous amount of paperwork for a citizen of Moon-X to not only be allowed out of the village, but to be put on a legalized cell team of another land." He glanced up at his sister. "Isn't that right, Hime?"

She offered up a delicate smile. "So much so that I fear my hand may never work as before."

That was meant to be a joke but Rent and others couldn't laugh at it. In his mind, Rent could _see_ the pain and suffering of the plan his Queen was formulating; he suspected that they knew the risks but figured the ends would meet the means.

"So basically…Crowa is going to kill the Uzumaki boy in the end," he voiced aloud.

Kazu nodded. "If it comes to that, whatever measure we have to take to ensure the safe return of our King has been factored into the equation."

"B-But," stuttered Rent, not wanting to seem as though weak but also not willing to let his fellows die if he could help it. He knew death would be the outcome and he would damned if he allowed it because of his silence. "Won't this just cause further dissention between us and ninja? No, between us and humans in general? This could escalate from a simple 'black-bag' mission to an all-out war!"

Now the Queen spoke and her voice greatly soothed his frazzled nerves. "Rent, my precious protector"—Kazu snarled at that but said nothing—"you must understand. The humans struck first blood by not only attacking our King but imprisoning him against his will within the body of a boy who, from our information, can barely perform the most basic of jutsu's. We _will_ get him back by any means necessary. After that, if the lands feel up to signing a co-treaty then peace can be had but I cannot call myself Queen if I allow such a travesty to go unanswered. Believe me when I say that peace is the end result we're planning for but in order to bring it about, blood must—_will_—be shed."

He wanted to believe her—oh God, he did—but an image of his parents wafted before his eyes and they stung with water.

"D-damn it," he cursed, using the back of his hand to wipe his sight clear.

"C'mon, Rent—it's not all that bad," Ban assured him with that charismatic grin. "Have faith, man. We'll trust our Queen."

"Always and forever," added Yumi dutifully.

"While pulling strings for Crowa, we managed to pull some for the three of you as well," continued Kazu, showing a shred of decency towards Rent's feelings by ignoring them altogether. "When next the Chunin exams come around, the three of you will be sent to represent Moon-X."

On any other day, hearing that would have caused Rent's heart to burst from the joy of being able to interact with humans. Now, hearing it only caused his stomach to drop, replaced by a nauseating numbness. Why did fate despise him so? All he wanted to do was get away from his clan and talk to some humans like equals—he desperately wanted to shorten the gap between his home and the other lands.

But now…now his dreams hung on Crowa's mental stability. If he acted before Rent even got a chance to venture out of Moon-X, namely by murdering that Uzumaki boy, then he could just resign himself to a bloody lifetime of battles and bloodshed. Hell, he might just let Yumi slit his throat during their next fight. And on the off chance that Crowa did nothing, the three of them were being sent in as failsafe's no doubt, something he knew they would divulge later on should Crowa's reports lack signs of progress.

Kazu was speaking again and Rent had to struggle to come back to the conversation. "…four months until the next Chunin exam. Unfortunately, security this time around is going to be nigh impossible to penetrate considering the tragedy that occurred, the lives lost." At first, Rent couldn't believe the slight hint of sorrow in Kazu's voice. Was that hard-ass actually regretful…? "At any rate, you three are going to undergo some of the most brutal training exercises our land has to offer. You will train from the same schedule as the Nine-Tails did."

Ban let loose a low whistle. "Daaaaamn, Kazu. You trying to kill us or something?"

"Why, scared?"

Sporting a feral smile, Ban pushed his glasses up and flared his chakra. The resulting wind born under his power split the grass around him. "Like hell I am!" he snarled. "I'm king of the jungle! All I wanna know is why are we still talking when we know our objective? Let's get to it!"

"Yeah!" cheered Yumi, bouncing up and down like one from the monkey clan. "We're gonna rescue our King! All we gotta do is kill that Naruto boy! Too easy!" She turned to Rent, fully prepared to leap on him again, but her excited smile faltered somewhat when she beheld him standing in silence, head lowered. His flowing bangs hid his face in shadow. "Rent? Rent…you okay?"

"You should be proud," came Kazu's annoyingly exalted voice. "You should be jumping alongside your fellows. This is a task that any other would _kill_ for. Why do you not celebrate?"

Silence ruled the training area and only the gentle splashing of water was heard until Rent lifted his head, showing them a face streaked with tears yet marked with a smile. "I _am_ celebrating," he clarified and his voice was strong, decisive. "I know what the Queen calls of me to do and I will answer her." He turned to Queen Nonohime and dropped to one knee, his head bowed respectfully. "My liege, I solemnly swear to bring back the King on waves of peace."

To his declaration, a slight shade of blush rose in Maya's cheeks. Out of the four she had gathered she adored Rent the most. He was such a caring, sweet individual with a strong sense of justice that the rest of the land shunned him for. It was a fond wish of hers to teach him the shape-shifting genjutsu that Kazu used just to see how he would look years older. That was dangerous territory, of course, but a woman had her needs and being in heat tended to cloud her better judgment, on purpose or otherwise. Just thinking what she could teach such a young little hybrid like Rent caused a bit of wetness to gather where it wasn't wanted.

"Mmmm…such fantasies are better left unexplored…at least for now," she mused to herself, hoping the smell of her liquids wouldn't be detectable in the tepid winds.

Ignoring his teammates who were practically screaming with joy and playfully wrestling in the grass behind him, Rent looked up into his Queen's beatific face. She was smiling down at him. He went to speak when the most savory scent wafted under his nostrils; subconsciously, he inhaled like a man born anew, feeling a fire burst to life just behind his racing heart.

_What was that? Was it…was it the Queen_? He was salivating, beginning to pant like the dog he was but forced himself to calm down. "Did you say something, my Queen?" he wondered slowly.

Well, if someone had to catch her 'scent', she was glad it was Rent. The poor boy looked just about drunk off it and she stifled a giggle. "Nothing, my dear Rent, nothing."

**XXX**

A/N: Everyone has those crazy-ass chapters where it's super long to get out all the details without killing the story later. This is mine. Next time, cell 7's newest member appears. R&R if you want.


	4. Crowa

Future Plans

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do however own an original story I can't wait to get published.

A/N: Edited. Enjoy and R&R

Chapter IV: Crowa

**XXX**

Huh.

Ever feel like you're having an out of body experience? Like you were sure something weird as shit was going down yet at the same time cold reality was there to bitch-slap you into acceptance?

Yeah, that's me. Just call me Ghosuke (patent pending).

My _real_ name is Sasuke Uchiha, and up until a few months ago I was among the world of ninja, more importantly among the world of the _breathing_. Up until a few months ago I had everything a boy could ever need—I had notoriety, stature, girls chasing me like I was a bucket of ice cream, and money out the ying-yang.

At the present I'm standing on my own grave, something that's more surreal than a kick to the crown jewels. Now…tell me if this makes sense. Supposedly, I died—wait, there's no supposedly about it; I let my best friend puncture my heart like a piece of beef. Instant death. Anyway, so I'm dead, but for the life of me—ha, 'life' of me—I can't figure out why I'm still here, on earth. I thought the souls of the deceased were supposed to move on. What does that mean?

Hell if I know. I'm dead, that much is for certain yet I can't seem to do all the things that a ghost is supposed to do…well, based off of movies and books I'd read. I can't fly through the air—only levitate slightly, I can hardly phase through things—only Naruto and the dirt to my own coffin…the only thing I can do without fail is piss Naruto off, which is fun and all but it all gets tiresome after a while.

More than three times a day I visited my grave, much like now, and sink down through the packed earth to examine my body. Face-to-face with myself—I really was handsome, huh—I can honestly say that, yes, I am no longer breathing, my heart—what's left of it—is not beating, and my eyes won't open no matter what I do to myself.

That's another thing, I can't touch anything else _except_ my own body. Yeah, I tried to possess it but that didn't work. My body instantly started to rot from the inside out and if by some new chance that Naruto does manage to bring me back I'd rather not be put back into a smoldering mass of fetid organs and stagnant blood.

Funny thing is…I'm not the only one.

Maybe there was some sort of blockade concerning the afterlife but it was surprising to see that I wasn't Konoha's only spiritual visitor. Hundreds of un-seeable spirits floated here and there, some wandering aimlessly and others shadowing people they once knew when alive. Naturally, all of this scared me shitless but after the first three weeks it too got old. I tried to associate with some of them—mainly because I thought they could help me find my way to wherever—but they never talk. In fact, they seem not to even notice me and it's at those moment where I think I'm not really dead, just stuck between the mortal plane and the 'after' plane.

Fucking crazy. I know it is…but I almost let Orochimaru have his way with my body so I guess if that's believable then so is this.

Hn…regrets. Regrets, regrets, regrets—boy, I have those in spades. Before my death I never really cared much for anything except making a pez dispenser out of my brother's neck…but then I found out Naruto was the only one who could see and hear me—the only one who seemed to acknowledge that something was strange as well. His usual rambunctious ways, his annoyingly cheerful disposition…it's rubbing off on me in the weirdest ways. Before death, I don't think I'd ever laughed, certainly never found myself actually fantasizing about Sakura.

That shit's been changed. One of my main regrets: never snagging Sakura when I had the chance. Right, right, what the hell am I thinking? But come on, sure she's annoying as all hell—almost worse than Naruto—and that forehead can blind when reflected with light but…seriously, half of you out there know damn well that if Sakura came walking past you at this very moment you'd snatch her up like a stripper does a dollar on stage. Hell, might as well add Ino to the list, and Makumi, and Rikura, and Kanitsue—add 'em all, all the girls that were in our class. If I do come back, I'm coming _hard_.

Now that I've gotten all the perv out of me, can you do me a favor? Grab the under part of your chin and pull.

….

Did it hurt? Well, it does me. I'm pulling mine right now and I feel _pain_. Actual points of discomfort linked to preceptors in my flesh that should have long since been dead.

Why…? I feel pain, I feel the wind, when it changes, when the sun rises and those first ray of warmth light up the sky—I can smell the sunflowers every time I go to the Yamanaka flower shop—every time Rock Lee walks up to salute Naruto or do some other weird fetish thing I feel so happy that his operation was a success that I could cry.

I never cry.

Being influenced by Naruto's feelings makes me _want_ to experience it. I don't know how—after death, nothing makes sense anymore—but I'm linked to this guy both emotionally and mentally and…and I've _seen_ things…things that he never would have told me and Sakura willingly. I know now. I know now why everyone despises him so, I can see the darkness clinging to the very dregs of his unusually bright soul. There's something there and it's clinging with claws that draw blood and cause him unending pain.

Funny…I never noticed that when I was alive. Considering the way my life was going, I probably never would have noticed. And this guy who was going so far to try and bring me back would have continued to suffer in silent agony alone.

When I dwell on it my eyes burn. It's a weird sensation, not one I want to grow used to but still, sometimes it's nice. That's also one of my more private regrets: not being a better teammate. That will change.

When Naruto was being chased by that fox of a librarian, Kaede, I visited my grave once again, just to see if anything new would happen, maybe a gate would open, maybe a secret portal to the afterlife. But no. Nothing happened. My body remains six feet under, freezing cold while I pray the metallic coffin keeps the surfacing worms at bay long enough for Naruto and me to figure out a plan of action.

How tragic would it be to regain a body chewed to swiss cheese by maggots?

What's even more tragic is the reality I'm facing right now. I caught up with Naruto at our training grounds and now I'm staring at our sensei, Kakashi, as he introduces the boy that's supposed to officially be taking my spot as student number 713, 2nd spot on cell number 7.

I never thought I'd do this but when Naruto opened his mouth I could practically hear my voice melding with his as we both shouted,

"_The hell kinda bullshit is this_?"

Kakashi sighed into his mask. "As I said, this is Crowa Shilix. He'll be the replacement member for cell 7 as ordered by the Hokage herself."

"Then the Hokage's on drugs!" shouted Naruto and, although she remained silent, the look on Sakura's face blared her agreement. "We don't need another teammate! Sasuke's not dead—I told you guys this! I just"—his eyes roamed the ground desperately—"I just need more _time_!"

Before Kakashi could speak, Crowa looked up at him with passive eyes. "Who came up with the last name Shilix?"

"The Hokage," answered Kakashi while Sakura threw an arm around Naruto's neck to silence him. "She figured you would fit in better if you had a—"

"With all due respect, she figured wrong," interrupted Crowa. "I never said I wanted to fit in—kinda hard to when you look like I do."

Scrunching up his face, Sasuke stared Crowa up and down, trying to figure out what he meant by that. Form wise, he had pretty much the same malnourished build that Naruto did, except his hair was an almost fiery orange that hang around his head as though damp; it fell into his face yet cured around his russet colored eyes, which were, oddly, elliptical. His skin was peppered with indigo insignias that looked as though ripped right from a cult book. Atop his head poked up two ears that looked as though they belonged on a fox, darker than his hair, and looking down Sasuke spotted a tail that hung almost as if depressed. It was thick and fluffy with a pearly creamy tip.

Nope, nothing strange about th—

"The hell is up with those appendages?" Sasuke wondered, knowing both that only Naruto could hear him and that Naruto would repeat it, which he did.

Placing a hand over his new charges shoulder, Kakashi cleared his throat. "Crowa here comes from another land entirely, one that very few people know about—"

"Wait," Crowa said and he stepped up to Naruto, staring at a spot just past his right shoulder.

Taking that as a sign of challenge, Naruto puffed out his chest, his eyes narrowed. "What, dude, you gotta problem or something?"

"No, but _you_ might." Crowa pointed. "Why do you have that spirit hanging around you like that?"

Silence.

"So…now there are three who see me," Sasuke smirked.

Naruto's jaw hit the ground.

"Crowa…what are you talking about?" asked Kakashi hesitantly but it was clear he already knew the truth. "Don't tell me…."

"You mean," Sakura began breathlessly, turning towards the same direction as Crowa, "you mean that it…that N-Naruto was telling the truth…?"

Confused, Crowa closed his left eye, trying to shape out the mass of light next to Naruto. "The truth about what? Is it normal to have spirits follow you in this village? He looks like a boy—"

Without warning, Naruto snapped into a fighting stance, his hands raised in front of him. "Kaka-sensei…let me fight him."

Scratching behind his head, Kakashi looked up past the trees into the sky. What was this turning into? "Why the sudden urge? You two _just_ met."

"You heard what he said, sensei." There was a certain seriousness in Naruto's voice that within the past couple of months had begun to show itself more predominantly. The glint in his cerulean eyes was one of determination, not recklessness. "I was right, and _he_ can see Sasuke, too."

"Only day one and already this," Kakashi sighed, but he sauntered off to the side, motioning for Sakura to join him. "Why is this so important, Naruto? Sasuke's dead."

Sakura whimpered slightly.

Crowa nodded. "I take it that ghost thing beside you is this…_Sasuke_." He furrowed his brow in thought, trying to understand. "Why would you risk a mortal wound by challenging me? Rent told me people made friends by talking and…and other stuff…."

It crossed Naruto's mind to ask who this 'Rent' was but he ignored the urge, spreading his legs further; he extended a palm forward, holding his other fist close to his body. "Because…someone I look up to once told me that those who violate the rules and fail to follow orders are lower than garbage. _However_, those who do not care for that and support their fellows…are even worse than _that_!"

He smirked. Kakashi's visible eye seemed to smile fondly.

"And right about now," Naruto continued, "I'm the lowest piece of garbage ever spawned."

Seemingly fighting with herself, Sakura yelled out, "Then…than that makes two of us, Naruto!"

Disregarding his confusion, Crowa lifted a single hand. "I have no idea what's going on, but this will mark my first sparring match outside of my home." He flexed his finger and Naruto quirked an eyebrow when his nails extended into claws, the tips glistening. "I've no idea the Konohagakure customs of sparring but I hope you don't go down easy…Naruto, was it?"

"Likewise, Crowa."

Kakashi lifted his hand, paused for a moment as he glanced between the two, then brought it down.

"Begin!"

**XXX**


	5. She Wants A Word With You

Future Plans

A/N: Chapter five already. Wooow! This story won't be a quick one, I realize that now.

Chapter V: She Wants A Word With You

**XXX**

_Damn…and here I thought the two months of personal training I'd given that idiot would have been enough. Guess not. _

"Come on, fool!" shouted Sasuke, cupping hands around his mouth. "That new guy's making you look straight _stupid_ out there!"

Even if Naruto wanted to reply, the fist that rammed itself into his mouth made speech all but impossible. As pain lanced through his head, he stumbled back, a trail of blood leaking over his bottom lip.

"Y-you son of—" he coughed, spitting. "That was a _cheap_ blow and you know it."

"What was that?" Shaking his stinging knuckles, Crowa frowned, failing to understand the blondes words. "How is it cheap when you allow yourself to be distracted? I saw an opening so I took it. Are the rules _really_ that different in this village? Or are you just making excuses? Honestly, I can't tell."

Off to the sidelines stood Kakashi with Sakura at his hip. He had been watching the duel for the better half of an hour, intrigued by Crowa's fighting style but also by the maturation of Naruto's own skillset. Before Sasuke's death, he could hardly throw a proper punch—much less string together combos—but watching him now, analyzing him, he could see a touch of professionalism in his strikes.

"Crowa's right, Naruto," he lectured lightly. "Not only is it dangerous to fight while occupied with other things, it's also gravely disrespectful to your opponent. Give your _full_ attention to Crowa."

_Shut the hell up, Sasuke_! Naruto shouted within the confines of his mind, willing his ears to block off Sasuke's constant shouting. He spat blood and knelt down, undoing the zipper of his jacket. "Alright…damn thing's gettin' in my way." Like a second skin, he peeled the sweat-drenched piece of clothing off and tossed it aside, now clad in only a dark blue undershirt. "Hell yeah," he grunted, stretching his arms. "_Round two, Crowa_. Let's go."

Looking nonplussed, Crowa performed a quick two-step that propelled him into Naruto's guard and the two collided far more fiercely than before. Sasuke heeded Naruto's word and fell silent, watching as the blonde fought with renewed vigor: he was actually on the offensive, throwing out a series of blows that constantly caused Crowa to readjust his footing.

"So this is how you fight when serious," muttered Crowa, sidestepping a punch that grazed his side; it felt like he'd been stabbed but he swallowed the pain and twirled around Naruto's outstretched arm. "Considering what you've got hidden within you, I'd have thought you light-years ahead of this."

Fully intent on a counter-strike, those words struck Naruto cold and he froze like a deer in the headlights, his eyes widening. "What…? H-how did—?" He damn near bit his tongue off when Crowa delivered a fast uppercut to his jaw, the force taking him off his feet like a rocket.

Watching his friend arch through the air, Sasuke couldn't help but smirk, looking towards Crowa who turned to him in what felt like slow motion. It was unnervingly odd that another could see him, especially so late into this whole experience, but he pointed towards Naruto.

"It's not over yet, Crow."

As if the sky were tangible, Naruto executed a backflip mid-flight and landed on his feet with a ground-rumbling quake. Crouching, he took off like a bullet, diving at Crowa who stumbled in his haste to back up. Naruto laughed into the wind, his voice wild and rampant.

"What? Didn't expect me back so soon? Come on, man, I'm givin' you my _full_ attention!"

_CRACK_

Almost before Crowa could stagger back, Sakura was cheering, her fist pumping. "There you go, Naruto! I knew you couldn't be _that_ lame! He was walking all over you for a second there!"

For the first time in his life, Naruto felt like telling Sakura to 'shut up' but grit his teeth to it. Beside him, Sasuke was snickering.

"Do you see why I ignored the hell out of her and the other girls now? Friggin' birds all of them, constantly cawing and cawing!"

With lackadaisical eyes, Crowa rubbed his bottom lip, examining the splotch of crimson shining back at him. "Huh." Behind him, his tail, limp throughout the entire fight, had begun to wag back and forth like a metronome. "I felt some of _him_ behind that punch," he uttered cryptically and Naruto twitched, knowing instantly to whom he was referring. "If you know how to draw out its power then why are you still so slow on reflexes, instincts, and everything else?"

Dread overtook the pain in Naruto's lower jaw. _I think this bastard knows_, he thought to Sasuke who shrugged. _Don't just shrug like it means nothing—how does he know?_

_I'm stuck in endless perdition right about now, you ass. This isn't some b-movie horror flick—what you know, I know, nothing more, nothing less. I thought we established that some weeks ago._

In the back of his mind, despite being pissed by that answer, Naruto was grateful that Sasuke followed him up with thinking instead of speaking.

"Shall we continue?" asked Crowa despondently, lifting a hand. He turned his palm over and curled his fingers twice. "Come. I want to keep going until you show me your _full_ strength."

"What's he talking about, Kaka-sensei?" Sakura looked up at Kakashi to see the copy-nin staring with a hard glint to his eyes; it was almost frightening. "K-Kakashi-sensei?"

"Full strength?" Naruto snorted, knowing full well what Crowa meant, and also knowing that it'd be a cold day in hell before it happened. "Man, if I even pulled out an _eighth_ of my skills you'd be on the ground unconscious."

"Then whatever happens let the consequence lie with me and no other. We _are_ ninja aren't we?"

"Sounds like an invitation if ever there was one," said Sasuke offhandedly.

It did. It really did, and Naruto would have loved nothing more than to go primal right about now, to unleash all the pent up anger and frustration that he'd kept locked away since Sasuke's death. He didn't know why but staring at Crowa instilled a sense of lucidity that he didn't think possible—he was actually _losing_ the urge to fight that guy the longer he stared at him.

And it seriously pissed him off because he couldn't figure out why. It was just...just a _feeling_ that bloomed right behind his ribcage, warm and unnaturally tingly.

"Whatever the hell you're going through, curb that shit would ya?" muttered Sasuke, staring off in another direction. "Startin' to make _me_ feel weird over here."

"Yeah...we're ninja," agreed Naruto wryly, sporting a tired grin. He flat-out ignored Sasuke. "And I give. This bout goes to you."

After that daring proclamation, Crowa wasn't the only one looking stunned as his hands drooped hesitantly—Sasuke had gone slack-jawed while Kakashi and Sakura both looked as though clubbed with something blunt.

"D-did Naruto just…?" began Sakura in disbelief.

Cocking an eyebrow, Sasuke regarded Naruto like he had grown an exponential amount in the span of three seconds. "Huh. Didn't think you had it in you to play the part of the big man."

Crowa's eyes shot from Sasuke, essentially to thin air, then to Kakashi and Sakura, and finally back to Naruto. "What does he mean? Why does our fight have to be over now? Both of us can still—"

"It's not about that," cut in Naruto, feeling a piece of himself corrode away into nothingness. Where once he felt warm, that had been bulldozed with nausea. _I never quit and I don't run!_ Those were his words, his ninja way...and he'd just tarnished it. "You know damn well that if we kept going then something bad would've happened."

"Bad like how?"

The chill in Naruto's gut clenched tighter. Yes, it was better to end things quickly before he got too excited, too riled up to stop. "Just...just take my word for it, man." He bent over scooping his jacket from the ground and shook it free of grass. Zipping it back up, he turned to Crowa, grinning when he saw the new recruit still looked confused, putout even. "You just won your first sparring match between new comrades. You should jumping around for joy."

"Joy in battle should come after a good, hard fight to the death." There was no mistaking the disappointment behind Crowa's words yet he didn't show it, distracting himself by putting his hands together as if in prayer. He simply ignored Kakashi and Sakura as they approached, pushing his hands out in front of him, exhaling, then bringing them back in.

_The hell's he doing? _Naruto wondered.

_Something my brother used to do after he finished a training session. It's a relaxation technique, brings your chakra back into focus._ Memories of way back began to creep into Sasuke's subconscious, and inadvertently into Naruto's: a little boy with raven black hair stood off to the sidelines staring in complete awe of his older brother as he went through a series of complicated taijutsu stances only to end them in the same 'cool down' exercises as Crowa.

Pain stabbed into Naruto's temple and he jerked, hiding it when Kakashi put a hand to his shoulder. _Eh, Sasuke, remember what you told me earlier? Yeah, how 'bout you curve that shit?_

"Well fought, Naruto, Crowa," Kakashi praised, and he produced from behind his back a black knit cap that he passed to Crowa. When his student only looked at it listlessly before staring up at him, Kakashi took it back and fit it snugly over Crowa's head, or, more specifically, over his ears. "There we go."

Hugging Naruto—a first where many of them were concerned—Sakura cocked an eyebrow. "Sensei, what're you doing?"

"A question that plagues my mind as well," added Crowa despondently, scratching at the cap. "It's muffling my hearing…."

Sasuke snorted. "Muffling his hearing…such a _d'aaaaw_ moment."

"What?" said Crowa, confused. He turned his elliptical eyes to Sasuke. "It's true. I can barely hear anything."

"Some of our residents may not take too well to your, uh..._enhancements_," explained Kakashi, rummaging in his side pouch. "I've read your file, Crowa, and suffice it say that 'behavioral problems' popped up more than a few times." To this, Crowa merely shrugged, a line of blood persistently leaking over his lip. "Uh-huh. I've already lost one student—I refuse to have you thrown in the barracks for disorderly conduct. Wear the beanie for now. As for your tail, tuck it into your pants in a way that causes the least discomfort for you."

Like a solider in the military, Crowa saluted, his gaze hard. "Understood, sir." With his raised hand, he pointed to a vacant spot next to Naruto. "And you haven't lost your previous student. I don't even know why I should have to say this but...he's standing right there."

"Yup, standing right here," said Sasuke, waving like a hyperactive child when Kakashi and Sakura turned to the designated spot. A laugh escaped his lips, a laugh that only Naruto and Crowa heard, the latter of which was busily stuffing his tail into his pants and down the right leg. "But we've been through this before, haven't we?"

Almost as if expecting this, Kakashi nodded, fishing out his usual orange novel, holding it up to his face. "I suspect he's not gone. Dead, yeah, but gone? Not that little avenger. Though," he added tersely, attempting to cut his eye at Sasuke but he was off by a couple meters (sighing, Sasuke stepped into it), "I assume _next_ time around, he'll be a lot smarter about things, yes?"

Instead of scowling as he normally would have, Sasuke borrowed a page out of Naruto's book and scratched behind his head, laughing with well-earned shame. "Yeah...yeah, ain't that the truth…."

Hands pressed to her mouth, Sakura looked as if she wanted to cry. "S-so it's true."

"Unfortunately," joked Naruto, feeling something gelatinous trickle down his side.

Blood. That last strike must've been more extensive than he thought. The pain was substantial and he knew that fox would fix it soon enough but still...how did Crowa know about his birthright? That was supposed to be an S-level secret, punishable by death if uttered to anyone other than the Hokage herself. _Who told him? Why would they?_

_Who says anyone told?_ Sasuke thought back, stepping in reverse as Sakura tried to approach him, one arm blindly extended like she wanted to grab hold. _You see his ears? And that tail? I had heard about Moon-X citizens from my parents. They have an affinity with the creature they're bonded to. Maybe this guy's affinity lies with foxes—maybe…he can just feel what's in you._

His reasoning made so much sense that Naruto grew slightly miffed. No, there had to be something more to it than that. Who was that boy? Why was...why did he have those animal-like appendages? _Shit, I mean, I know I have these whisker things but come on…he's making me look normal over h—_

The cool wind howled and Crowa tensed, snatching a kunai from the pouch on his right thigh—he twirled it twice then dove at Naruto, drawing everyone's eyes as he thrust his arm up.

Shock froze Naruto like a block of ice. "_What're you_—?"

Sakura's voice blared over his. "NARUTO—"

Too late.

The glistening tip plunged into Naruto's nose—no…Naruto gasped when the cool metal merely slid over his nose, his mind perceiving otherwise. Before he could speak, there came a loud _clang_ and a shuriken ricocheted off in a shower of white-hot sparks.

"Not too bad there," echoed a voice from seemingly everywhere and only Kakashi looked up to see an Anbu nin falling from the sky, catching the deflected shuriken mid-flight. His landing was silent, barely a rustle amongst the grass, and he wore a ceramic bear mask. Ignoring the two frenzying genin, he focused on Crowa: the little hybrid had taken up a defensive position in front of Naruto, his kunai lifted, ready to fight. He found it slightly awkward how the pink-haired kunoichi—Sakura Haruno, if he remembered—hid behind Naruto yet with a heavy-set glare fixed onto her face.

"If you're done using my students as target dummies, to what do I owe the pleasure, Bear?" wondered Kakashi but it was hard to believe he truly cared for the reason by the way his eyes immediately found his book again. "Come to get that rematch in ro-sham-bo? I've been practicing my deadly rock-paper-scissors combo all day."

The Anbu chuckled, his short-cut crop of black hair swaying as he shook his head. "I'll have to take a rain check, Kakashi." In a move that sent shivers down Naruto's spine, Bear turned to face him and, even though none could see it, Naruto, Sasuke, Crowa, and Sakura felt sure he was smirking. "Good reflexes there, little fox. You can be at ease now—that was just a small test, and you passed."

"Passed?" Naruto repeated indignantly, that familiar rage surging through his veins. "_Passed_? Motherfucker, you tried to kill me just now!"

Crowa did not lower his weapon. On the contrary, his grip tightened. "You say I can be at ease but you just made an attempt at my comrades life on the whim of a test. Your logic's full of holes…Bear-san," he added as a show of respect.

An amused chuckled echoed from Bear's mask. "Goodness, for one so young his perception skills are well honed." The compliment was over layered by a sinister twinge. "But I guess that's to be expected from a prior resident of Moon-X."

To this, Kakashi stepped between Bear and Crowa, fearing his student might instinctively react and cause a shit storm on day one. "It's one of the main reasons why I think he'll make a fine addition to cell 7. Now," he began, closing his book with a decisive snap, "as I said before, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Pleasure my right ass cheek!" yelled Naruto, shrugging Sakura off his back and attempting to run forward, but Crowa threw out an arm halting him mid-step. "Just gonna forget you tried to kill me, eh, you lousy—"

"Calm down, doofus," reprimanded Sasuke tersely, laying a hand over Naruto's shoulder. Instantly, a heinous chill burst to life within Naruto's mind, starting at his arm and traveling down his body. He _hated_ when Sasuke touched him; it was like being drowned in an ice-cold lake. He froze against his will. "That wasn't meant towards you—he was testing Crowa's loyalty. If anything, Crowa's the one who should be pissed."

"But—"

"No, he's right, Naruto." Crowa's eyes turned into slits. "I don't exactly know why but something tells me if I hadn't blocked that kunai...Bear-san would have killed me."

Silence fell over the training grounds, one so thick that even the trees became still. For a long time, no one said anything.

"Now...why would I do that? You haven't done anything to merit execution," responded Bear as easily as if he were discussing the weather.

To his question, Crowa allowed an unpleasant smile. "You forgot to add the word 'yet' at the end, Bear-san. I've heard all about Konoha's famous _hospitality_." The last word rolled from his tongue like a snakes hiss. "So friendly and inviting were everyone can see...but behind closed doors things turn...scarlet. Dungeons unfit for a beast, eyes surgically removed, lips torn off, used as bait for animals—"

Kakashi suddenly coughed and Crowa, heeding the wordless scorn, fell silent, still smirking. "See, its rumors like that, Crowa, that drive away our holiday tourists," Kakashi said conversationally.

Honestly, Naruto couldn't tell if he were joking or not. Their sensei was always one to befuddle them with his manner of speech.

"Tell me, little fox, where have your heard these claims?" the bear masked Anbu straightened his stance, arms folding over his admittedly broad chest.

"Why do you want to know?" shot back Crowa.

"I'm...curious."

_This won't end well,_ thought Sasuke, exhaling with a slight anxious air. Naruto would have clowned him for his cowardly actions if he weren't trying to so hard to catch Crowa's voice. Never mind the Anbu, _he_ himself was curious. All that stuff mentioned...just what in the hell was this boy on? Konoha wasn't like that—

_**Is that really so…?**_

Deep within Naruto's subconscious, something gave way with a painful _crack _and his vision blurred a nasty red and yellow.

He lurched forward into Crowa's still raised arm, the bile in his stomach churning nauseatingly.

_The fox!_ he told Sasuke mentally as the ghost had been observing his spasms with a raised eyebrow, confusion splayed over his face. It was quickly overtaken by a flash of horror then sincere concern as he leaned closer to Naruto.

_It's talking to you? Right now? _When Naruto nodded, sweat pebbling his brow, Sasuke swore under his breath. _I thought you said you could block its communications?_

A wry grin tugged at the corner of Naruto's lips and he fixed Sasuke with an apologetic face. _Did I…? Then I guess I lied so you wouldn't worry…._

The fury that showed itself upon the Uchiha's face made Naruto damned grateful he couldn't physically be touched by the specter.

He had just opened his mouth to know doubt yell his throat bloody when Crowa's voice echoed into the grounds: "I heard it from the few hostages that actually managed to escape your confinement," he stated clearly and like the Anbu, Crowa lowered his arm and stood straight, shoving one hand into the pocket of his shorts while the other he let dangle, tapping the edge of his kunai against his thigh. He didn't leer, rather he stared at the Anbu as though he were stupid to think such information wouldn't have gotten out sooner or later. "By creed of my Queen I'm forbidden from saying much but the last escapee that found us was dead just a mere forty minutes into our questions. Most of his internal organs had been ruptured and his lungs were overflowing with blood. He couldn't talk. He used his blood to write answers."

Crowa looked skywards. "We handed him a pencil but he refused...perhaps wanting to show his honor up until the very end."

Behind Naruto, Sakura looked seconds from spilling vomit down the back of Naruto's neck; her face was green, eyes wide yet she made not a sound, only clenching the fabric of Naruto's battle worn parka in a white-knuckled grip.

_**He speaks truth**_. That voice, that low growl of silk and dread...it dripped with an almost uncontrollable lust to sever flesh and bring about catastrophe. Even after all these years, Naruto and Nine-Tailed Fox were at constant war for the possession of his body. It was getting to the point where any break that appeared in his mental barricades (whenever he slept, ate, used the bathroom, daydreamed), they became gaping holes that the Fox hungrily tore at with his claws, trying with might and vigor to rip his subconscious to shreds.

It was painful.

It was tiring.

It was a blessing in disguise.

The harder the Fox struggled, the more firm Naruto became mentally whenever he repaired whichever part of his barrier was shattered. While Sasuke willingly helped him practice his taijutsu, the Fox was unknowingly helping him build up a resistance to mind games and genjutsu illusions. Even in his dreams, the Fox tempted him, using whatever means necessary to get him to remove the seal holding him at bay.

Every time, Naruto resisted. It was not easy, and more often than not, he ended up rushing to the bathroom to vomit, but the final results were worth it.

_**You can sense it….That corroding in your heart, little one. What sense does it make to speak proudly of a village that has openly tried numerous times to take your life? Your blood has been shed on every inch of his village yet still…**_**.**An almost rapturous purr resonated deep within Naruto, so much so that he could feel the very blood in his veins quaking. That bastard fox was actually enjoying this. _**Protecting that which has caused you such horrors...Such absurdity has not been seen since the two-tails**_**.**

"Well, be that as it may, I have been sent by Hokage-dono," replied Bear, his brisk facade never once faltering. He looked to Kakashi while jerking a finger at Naruto. "An audience with the boy is required."

"This boy's got a name," Naruto growled out, placing a hand to his temple. His flesh felt heated to the touch, nearly searing.

"Yes, yes he does," said Bear, and again his tone brook a smirk. "A lot of them if I remember correctly. Shall I enumerate some for you? First and foremost, we have the common title of _demon_—"

There was a silver flash of metal and Naruto and the others blinked, their breath stolen: the Kakashi standing just before them seemed to flicker on the spot before fading into a sea of nothing—and then a second Kakashi was just behind the Bear Anbu, one hand pressing a kunai to the underside of his neck just beneath his Adam's apple while the other held an orange book, which was open as Kakashi's only visible eye moved across the page.

"We have no more demons in this village, Bear, not for over a decade. Remember that when addressing my students or this bear might get _skinned_." Taking Bear's silence as acquiesce, Kakashi withdrew his weapon, twirled it once round his finger, then sheathed it.

No sooner had he stepped away was Bear laughing again. The sound had quickly become annoying for Naruto, Crowa, and Sakura, even Sasuke. "It's apparent the Copy-nin of lore has not lost a bit of his skills!"

"I'm hardly a lore," said Kakashi plainly, walking up to his students. He placed his free hand over Crowa's head, ruffling his cap. Though he didn't speak it, his eye conveyed the message of '_good job_'. After Crowa nodded, he turned to Naruto who swallowed. "The Hokage requests you, Naruto. We'll wait for you right here until it's over."

With Kakashi's words came a foreboding feeing that clung heavily to Naruto's spirits, threatening to drown him. _Until it's over…? What the hell's that supposed to mean_?

_One of two things_, thought Sasuke, following the blonde as he cautiously approached the bear Anbu's side. _1: she wants you to do the male version of the sexy jutsu again_—both boys shuddered—_or 2: someone told her about your little retrieval plan. Most likely she's gonna try to stop you._

Naruto snorted defiantly under his breath, taking the hand that the Anbu offered him. It was in preparation for a shunshin that Naruto had yet to get down pat yet. _Good luck with that. She can do whatever she wants. I won't stop until you breathe again, you ass._

Chortling, Sasuke took hold of Naruto's jacket sleeve. Other times he would have simply let Naruto go alone and taken a nice, long, relaxing walk to the destination but not this time. This had to do with his revival and if he had to somehow provide proof that he still _remained_ then he was prepared to throw books around, spill drinks, whatever it took. He sighed as he felt that familiar tug somewhere below his naval and the ground left in a spiraling downturn that made Sasuke close his eyes or risk nausea.

_Whatever it takes, Sasuke_, he heard Naruto think fervently next to him. _Whatever it takes._

**XXX**


	6. My Fellow Ninja, We Fight

Future Plans

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N 1: Yumi's looking all like 'Where the fuck you been at?' and I'm like 'Chick, I don't know what you want me to tell you, work is goin' to hell in a handbasket!' And then she puts her hands on her hips like 'Do you really think I care? Do you? Cuz I don't.' And here I sit all hungry, pissed off, being stared at by a bunny-girl hybrid.

A/N 2: Every chapter's going to begin in Sasuke's perspective simply because I find myself enjoying the way he thinks as a ghost. And then, for no odd reason, it'll shift back into a third-person view. You guys can figure out when that happens. Hell, it might even end that way.

Chapter VI: My Fellow Ninja...We Fight

**dddXXXXXXXXXbbb**

Ouch…

Ever had a door slammed in your face before? Shit hurts doesn't it? Well, personally, I wouldn't know, I'm just guessing. Had I been alive I'm sure it would have hurt, probably would have broken my nose, too, but as it was I just shrugged off the disrespect and merely ghosted through the entrance after Naruto and that jackass Anbu member, Bear.

Note to self: when resurrected, help Naruto and Crowa concoct the most devious prank ever, preferably something that involves hot sauce and Bear's ass.

As we strolled down the grand hall that led to the Hokage's office, my mind wondered to who spilled the freaking beans. Wait, that's stupid. Who else could it be? A face swam across my mind, a masked face...a masked face with one eye covered by a Hitai-ate headband. _Damn that nosy little_….Then again, I guess the oversight fell on Naruto and I-we should've known that with an idea this outlandish and, I'll admit, _stupid_ that people would try to dissuade us. Hell, I know I would. If I weren't the one trying to be revived, I'd be calling Naruto every demeaning name under the sun.

_Makes sense_, thought Naruto without looking back. _I mean, I've had my stupid moments before but this….If this doesn't work then I might as well become a missing nin._

"Good," agreed Sasuke, finding a type of dark pleasure in that. "Become a missing nin and lead me straight to my bastard of a brother. That'll be a nice consolation prize if you fail me."

_Okay, first of all, if this fails it'll be a team fail, alright? Got that? Good. Now secondly, you piece of astral snot, the only consolation prize you'll be gettin' from me if this fails is a hearty 'sucks to be you'._

Before Sasuke could respond, Bear glanced back over his shoulders. "And just what are we concentrating so hard on, little Fox?" he wondered.

"Little...Fox?" repeated Naruto as though the words were foreign to him. He looked up at Bear, silent for a few moments, before slapping a hand over his mouth.

While Bear stared, his mask probably hiding a confused expression, Sasuke offered the blonde two congratulatory back pats. "Good job taking the high road, man."

At the moment Naruto didn't trust himself enough to speak and remain calm. He knew he wasn't the nine-tailed fox that tore apart their village but still...some people found pleasure in saying 'Fuck your feelings' and then pissing on you without even the common decency to call it rain.

"It's funny," he began casually, talking over the hollow sounds of their footsteps on the marble floor, "because out in the wild, a bear can easily be tricked and taken out by a fox."

That was said so fluently that for a second, Sasuke couldn't believe it was Naruto who had spoke. "Damn," he said with a smirk, "nice one."

_Didn't mean to say that,_ thought Naruto with a grin to match Sasuke's. _I think you're starting to rub off on me…._

"You should be grateful, dead-last. If you get some of my smarts then you might actually make a decent ninja."

"A fox taking down a bear...now _that_ would be something to see. Want to test the theory, little Fox?" offered Bear quaintly.

Even though that was a glazed over way of saying 'I want to slaughter you', Naruto still felt that Sasuke squeezing his shoulder nearly to dust was overkill. He was smarter than he used to be since the Uchiha's death—no, not smarter, _acting_ smarter, finally using the brains he'd been born with.

"Man, come on. Of course you'd kill me—any idiot could see that." Again, Naruto spoke with serenity, no after-bite of sarcasm or scorn. "You've got me by at least a good twelve years in experience—no way I'd win."

Bear's response was short. "Smart fox."

"Really smart," added Sasuke. "Maybe I am rubbing off on you."

Naruto shrugged, his gaze straightforward. The next ten steps brought them before a set of grand oak doors, inscribed with elegant carvings of trees, fauna, and a sun at the very top. Naruto would have loved to marvel at the craftsmanship but he suddenly broke out in a heavy sweat. Whatever was on the other side—as if they didn't already know—it was pissed off to the fullest; the levels of chakra were through the roof.

"Bear-san," began Naruto anxiously, fidgeting where he stood, "what say we work together to take her down, huh? You know what they say, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'."

The Anbu member merely shook his head-"Not even for my own child would I face this wrath, little fox"-and disappeared in a spark of smoke.

Naruto stared in disbelief, shoulders slumping. "Son of a…."

It was tempting for Sasuke to just walk—_float_—away and leave Naruto to battle this alone...but he sucked in his bottom lip and placed a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Let's go. Bet you five she already knows we're out here, man. Best not to keep ladies waiting, especially ladies who could possibly end your life."

"No kidding."

Placing a quivering hand on the doorknob, Naruto gave it a slow twist—and was nearly blown back down the hallway when it was suddenly knocked open with an ear-bleeding _crash_. The most angriest female Naruto had ever laid eyes on stood in the doorway, blonde-hair done in two ponytailed, chakra gem inset on her forehead, fists to her hips—

Still daftly clutching the broken doorknob in his hand and wondering if he'd have to pay for it to be repaired, Naruto flinched as he watched her inhale so deeply that flames seem to ignite in her nostrils like a dragon about to roast him alive. "Tsunade-chan—WAIT—lemme explain!"

"Explain shit—DUCK YOU FOOL!" bellowed Sasuke and in what felt slow motion, he snatched Naruto to the side as the Hokage roared,

"YOU DIMWITTED WASTE OF FLESH!"

Pain raced through Naruto's ears, disrupting his balance to a drunken degree; he almost hit the floor but stayed standing, smashed up against a wall. "Please," he begged shortly, "please—all I want to do is _explain_, talk this out peacefully!"

Even in his deadened form, Sasuke could feel the hold over his bladder loosening at dangerous speeds. His knees knocked, his brain died with fear, and his heart leapt into his throat seeking refuge from what might possibly tear it out. "Stop talking, you idiot!" he ground out, freezing just at Naruto's side. In the back of his mind he knew Tsunade could not see him but he didn't want to test the theory. "You see that thick ass vein on her forehead? Damn thing looks about ready to bust!"

"Wh-which is w-why I'm trying—" Naruto stammered but just then Tsunade reached out and snatched him off the floor by the neck of his parka so that his feet kicked about frantically.

"Peacefully, you say? You want to talk about this peacefully?" Her tone was dark, suffocating to the point where Naruto couldn't respond with words, only strangled gasps for breath. That seemed to be all Tsunade needed to hear because she nodded and lowered him back to the floor. She pointed towards her office. "Get your ass in there. _Now_."

Before she could finish the word 'now', Sasuke had already punted Naruto in his back sending him flying over the threshold. "She said 'now'," he hissed to Naruto's glare after Tsunade had turned her back to lock the door, "and you were standing there like _durrrrr_, _what dat mean_? It means move!"

It was painfully obvious where Naruto was supposed to sit by the single wooden chair placed just before the main desk, behind which Tsunade took her seat. She leaned forward on her elbows, carefully interlocking her fingers as though aware that she might reach out and strike the boy otherwise. She waited patiently until Naruto had seated, looking over the three times he oddly fumbled and fell over. To her it seemed that invisible strings were tugging him in different directions.

When his butt finally hit the chair, she inclined her head once. Naruto took it as a signal to begin. So he did. He told her everything, ignoring Sasuke whenever the specter nudged him in the ribs for speaking too much. Why lie? He wasn't a very good one, and to lie now would only give her further cause to restrict him.

"—and bring him back," he finished with far more bravery than he knew existed within him.

For a moment, there was only silence as Tsunade surveyed her young ninja with calculating eyes that roamed him up and down—then, strangely, off to the right, resting upon Sasuke who twitched.

"You stiffened when I looked to your left, Naruto," she spoke passively, smirking when the blonde jerked as though pinched. "_A ninja must mask his emotions in any situation_—rule one hundred and thirty-seven of the shinobi handbook. Did you know that?"

"Yeah, yeah I did. I've read and memorized all two-hundred and forty-eight shinobi rules of the shinobi handbook."

"Lying really isn't something that's smiled upon in meetings like these, Naruto," she snapped tersely, her lips barely moving.

Naruto shook his head. "I'm not lying, not _going_ to lie," he corrected himself quickly. Without taking his eyes off the Hokage, he reached over, laying hand on Sasuke's shoulder. He resisted the urge to scream as was custom whenever he willingly touched the block of ice that was the Uchiha's skin. "I never lied about Sasuke being here—he _is_ and all—but you never asked. Typically, one doesn't receive information until asked...isn't that right, Tsu—"

Even Sasuke with his sharingan didn't catch it when Tsunade's arm suddenly blurred; an instant later, Naruto's head snapped right, spit flying from his mouth.

_She slapped him_, Sasuke realized, feeling daft. His throat dried as he turned to the Hokage who looked no more ruffled than before. _Slapped the shit out of him…._

"Smart-mouthing the Hokage, you've grown arrogant." The tone of her voice may have been fierce but, as Naruto straightened up, a hand to his stinging cheek, her eyes spoke of something else entirely. "This is a serious matter, brat."

Surprisingly, Naruto chuckled, though it soon became a laugh that caused Sasuke to double-look him with a cocked brow. "Good to see age hasn't slowed you down any, Tsunade-chan," he got out with a groan. Taking out a little pocket mirror, Naruto looked at his enflamed cheek, smiling at his reflection. "Lucky to still have all my teeth, I guess," he marveled, "but anyway...I did deserve that. You're right. It's not every day that a genin wants to go chasing after one of the most strongest ninja in history, is it?"

_Has this fool lost his mind? Did that slap addle him permanently?_ Sasuke wondered, eyes shooting from Tsunade to Naruto in a frenzy.

"No, it didn't," responded Naruto, glancing at his friend. He knew to Tsunade it must look as though he were talking to thin air but he didn't care. As far as he was concerned, this meeting was null; nothing short of dismemberment would be able to sway him from going. Turning back towards the Hokage, Naruto got to his feet with a formal bow. "I'm sorry, Tsunade-chan, for wasting both our times like this but I feel I should have said from the get-go that I'm doing this regardless of what you say."

Expelling a tired sigh, Tsunade leaned back in her chair. "What if I were to say I'd throw you in the barracks?"

The answer was simple, so simple that Naruto looked confused. "Then I guess I'd break out of the barracks."

"Then you'd be a criminal."

"I guess I would be."

"As a criminal, you'd be hunted until you were caught."

Naruto's head tilted sideways. "You don't say. And, not to be a smartass and get slapped again but, uh...how is that last one any different than right now?"

Silent for a moment, Tsunade poked out her bottom lip with a small nod of acquiesce. "Look, Naruto, I know how deeply you cared for Sasuke but—"

"No, you don't," interrupted Naruto, still bowed. When silence prevailed, he could feel their eyes upon him, waiting for an explanation. "To be honest, I hated that jerk…hated when he shined, when he was praised...when he looked at me with that smug smirk." Blonde locks fell in front of Naruto's face hiding his expression. His heart was racing—those words he spoke...they were true to the point where he could feel a stinging in his eyes.

"I was jealous, of _everything_ he had: a home, family, parents, everybody's infinite adoration. But...at the same time, I was kind of happy," muttered Naruto, and the corner of his mouth jerked up in a shy smile. "After that incident with his brother, we were suddenly so much alike that it scared me that someone could be in the same position and still be treated fairly, be _loved_. It gave me hope, ya know? That maybe...maybe I could rise above this curse placed on me and be smiled on."

The smile vanished, Naruto's bright blue eyes dimmed. "That plan didn't work...at all. In fact, if anything it worked in Sasuke's favor. It was all too clear who I was trying to be better than and that only made him shine brighter whenever I failed...and I failed a helluva lot. And then I started to catch up. Slowly but surely I was closing the gap between us—my Rasengan, the Fourth's legendary technique, it was actually equal to his Chidori! I wanted to make that bastard acknowledge me! I got effing tired of being looked down on like I was slow!"

Impulse grabbed hold of Naruto and he kicked out a foot sending his chair crashing into the opposite wall where it clattered to the floor in pieces. His eyes, mere slits aflame with anger, were not upon Tsunade, but Sasuke who stood sideways, head turned towards his enraged blonde friend.

"I'm not slow, I'm not weak, and I'm not fucking confused. For the first time since opening my eyes to this filthy world, I'm seeing things clearly—I see what I have to do. I was wrong, Sasuke," he got out with a slight frown. "Like you hated your brother...I hated you, and that's inexcusable as fellow ninja of the Leaf. It should have _never_ gotten to this point, to me talking to some damn ghost. You should be alive right now—scowling and making stupid ass remarks to everything I say!" Lifting his arm, Naruto made a fist so tight that his knuckles began to turn white. "I'm going to bring you back, but not just so you can breathe again...but so I can say I'm sorry. You're like a brother to me, man," he choked, and his entire body slumped. "We shouldn't have fought...we shouldn't have fought like that...all that blood, all the tears…."

And trails of water ran over the whisker-like marks on Naruto's cheeks.

"Naruto!" exclaimed Tsunade, standing and moving around the desk to his side. She knelt down in front of him holding him by the shoulder but he was looking at a spot just behind her and to the left. "Naruto, honey, are you okay?"

A watery laugh passed Naruto's lips as he wiped his eyes. He tried to answer but his throat felt swollen, like a rubber ball had been shoved into place. Instead he glanced at Sasuke again, assured now that he was seeing correct, that there were indeed silver lines of light flowing down the Uchiha's set face.

"Heh...w-what're you crying f-for, you baby?" he chided as Tsunade pulled from her pocket a canary-yellow handkerchief. "I don't lie, man...it's...it's my n-ninja way…."

**dddXXXXXXXXXbbb**

Three hours had passed since Tsunade, defeated, had allowed Naruto and his little invisible friend to leave her office. She had not given her permission to Naruto's but since the beginning she knew he would do it regardless of what reason she tried; like he said, it was his ninja way. Now she sat facing the window that overlooked the village. Twilight was coming fast and already the sky was losing it's bright orange flare, adopting a more lazy purplish haze as the village began to wind down for the day.

"I'm surprised you had no words of your own to drill into their heads," spoke Tsunade evenly, seemingly to herself. "They are planning to go after _him_, in case you missed that part."

She swiveled in her chair to behold a rather large anaconda slithering about her desk: it was purple in color with a black diamond pattern going down it's back. To an outsider, this would have looked a little more than strange to see the Hokage in conversation with a snake—but it became even stranger when the snake exploded with a small _pop_.

A purple cloud of smog obscured Tsunade's sight yet she sat quite unperturbed until it cleared, revealing a stunning woman with dark purple hair gathered back into a spiked ponytail. Like it was her own personal throne, Anko Mitarashi sat with her back to the Hokage, legs crossed and dangling over the edge.

"Hokage-dono," called Anko, her gaze on the pieces of chair strewn about the floor, "that chair...what was it made of?"

Tsunade's emerald eyes found the wreckage and she put a hand to her chin in thought. "Originally, it was an interrogations chair, made specifically to contain subjects with hyperactive body jutsu's. It was forged from some of the toughest alloy Konohagakure had to offer. I thought it would be a good idea to have it—you know, because of Naruto and his temper." She chuckled. "Should have known better. Not even Ibiki can construct a chair to withhold that brat."

Under different circumstances, Anko would have found that gut-bustingly funny, probably high-five worthy, but the subject matter had her skin crawling. "First that Uchiha boy gets himself put six feet under and now Naruto wants to follow the same path." Smirking somewhat, Anko looked back over her shoulder. "Well, Hokage-dono...what will you do?"

"Me? Oh no, _I'm_ not doing anything," and with a smirk to match the snake mistress, Tsunade reached under her desk, pulling out a vintage green bottle of liquid, "but I'll tell you what, Fang. I'm going to drain this whole bottle in less than thirty minutes while you go sort those two out." She slammed the bottle down causing Anko to jump to her feet. "I can already see this exploding into something that'll most likely involve all of Konoha's major clans, and if I'm going to face that storm then I want to get smashed before I do."

"Oh believe me," said Anko with a courteous bow, "I'll set 'em straight." A glistening tongue slid from between her lips, swishing back and forth hungrily. "When a plate full of delicious dumplings lands before you, you can't just let _anyone_ take it. No, no, no, you have to sample it first beforehand."

By the time Anko finished speaking, Tsunade was already downing her fourth saucer of alcohol and thus found the snake mistress' words quite entertaining. "Fine by me," she giggled, happy to be under the influence after such a long day. "Lemme tell you," she slurred, her cheeks rosey, "you do what you f-feel is best for 'em. If that includes beating their skulls then do it—I can't, bein' Hokage and all, but you can."

The little sadistic schoolgirl that resided within Anko began to jump up and down cheering for joy at the permission given to her, yet the professionally trained special-Jonin Anko Mitarashi kept her face abstract save for a small smile. Her bow lowered further until her back was as straight as Tsunade's desk; she put an arm behind her back and swept the other in front of her. "Your wish is my command, Hokage-dono."

And her body flickered once before vanishing like she never existed. Tsunade started to laugh, lifting her saucer as though to toast the room itself.

"She's going to tear those kids a new one," she smiled pleasantly.

**dddXXXXXXXbbb**

A/N 3: I've been waiting for Anko to enter the story. Bout friggin' time. Oh, and there was a line from Avatar in here, too, lol. Did ya spot it?


	7. Peeling Blood, Hissing Spark

Future Plans

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N pt 1: At one point and time, I read a fantastic piece that changed my life. I used to hate writing, but now, thanks to that one special piece, I have a new appreciation for the hands the fingers attached to them.

Chapter VII: Peeling Blood, Hissing Spark

**XXXXXXX**

_A few hours later…._

All was quiet within the cold facility—until a beastly roar tore through the corridors like a callback from death, causing all who heard it to jump, their heads whipping around, eyes wide with fear. As the anguished cries continued, one concise thought passed through everyone's mind, whether scientist or prisoner:

_Orochimaru-sama_…_!_

No one was allowed within Orochimaru's private quarters, not unless specifically called upon, and those who happened to stray where they ought not to were met with brutal consequences. The interior wasn't very large, as he preferred it, and had a medieval feel to it what with its cobblestone floor, the torches in brackets along the walls, and dower atmosphere. On the wall opposite his bed, his workers had installed a TV with the screen dived into fifteen sections that gave him an overwatch of everything that happened in his facility; twelve cameras were for the prisoners while the remaining eight went towards the pharmaceutical and technology departments.

Next to his bed, Kabuto was down on one knee with a scarlet-soaked rag in one hand while the other carried a bucket filled to the brim with chunks of bisected flesh.

"She was only bringing you you're breakfast, Orochimaru-sama." He paused in the act of picking up something long and suffused in blood. Far from feeling repulsed, it's coppery stench struck Kabuto in a place he tried to keep under control...but it was slipping, his lust for blood nearly consuming him. "It was as you ordered."

Laid in his queen-sized bed, Orochimaru stared at his most faithful servant, beads of sweat curving his skeletal-like face. "Had I?" he wondered idly. "I guess the pain in my arms caused me to suffer a momentarily lapse in memory."

Picking up what appeared to be a mucus-dripping eyeball, Kabuto let slip a charismatic smirk. "Are we making excuses for the help now, my Lord?"

"Were my arms not bound by this wretched curse, your entrails would be amongst the floor as well, maggot," growled Orochimaru warningly and Kabuto had to choke back his laughter. "If you want to get first dibs at the help then get faster than me, boy."

Kabuto smiled, the motion creepy and unnatural. "How did you know?"

"Your bloodlust when she walked through the door was almost paramount. No doubt you would have used her for one of your twisted experiments so I took care of it."

"My Lord, I only perform those experiments to find a remedy for your situation," confessed Kabuto serenely, sounding heartfelt. Deep down he knew that was a damned lie—his sole reasoning behind using prisoners and lab hires as guinea pigs was because he wanted to find a clue to immortality. He had read about the forbidden art in scriptures left behind by his late father but those notes only took him so far. Now, he thirsted for knowledge, and who better to seek out than one of the legendary three Sannin, the one most obsessed with learning the worlds most intricate and deadly jutsu's.

Orochimaru's yellow eyes grew slitted, glaring at the back of Kabuto's purple tunic. "That's twice your life would have been lost, boy. I detest liars."

"Ah, you know me well, my lord." Scooping up a sliver of intestinal lining, Kabuto finally stood, the contents of the bucket sloshing about nauseatingly. "I'll be right back, my Lord. Gotta go empty Mika here all over the trash...figuratively speaking, of course."

"_Wait_."

On command, Kabuto froze with one foot in the air. He didn't brother turning around as he could already feel his masters gaze stabbing into his back.

"How are my arrangements going for our little trip to the kingdom of Moon-X? Well, I trust?"

If Kabuto did anything but agree he felt sure Orochimaru would rise like a beast born anew and go on a rampage. Luckily, what he had to say was the truth. "It goes well, my Lord. We're having the lab coats construct a serum for you that will ease your discomfort during the journey as we speak."

The sound of springs groaning set Kabuto's mind at ease as Orochimaru settled more into his bed. "Very well done, boy," he mused.

Feeling it safe to move once more, Kabuto spun on his heels, careful not to waste any of the contents of his bucket. "A question if I may."

Orochimaru nodded once, his eyes slinking closed.

"Why the sudden fascination with Moon-X, my Lord?" The torchlight reflected off Kabuto's glasses as he pushed them up with his middle finger. "Could it be...does this have anything to do with the Uchiha's boys dea—"

A shudder ran the length of Kabuto's cheek before the skin tore, unleashing a torrent of blood that flowed like a waterfall, curving the length of his jaw to trickle down his neck; his tunic quickly became saturated with the coppery-smelling liquid yet Kabuto did little outside of blink.

"You are truly worthy of being my right-hand," observed Orochimaru, a sinewy tongue sliding from between his lips. "That kunai was aimed for your Adam's apple."

"Yes, my lord, though perhaps not as worthy as I would like to be," said Kabuto with self-admonishment. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the thrown weapon wedged deep into the wall next to the door. "The fact that you threw that with nothing but your tongue and I _still _couldn't fully dodge...well, honestly that leaves me feeling something worse than shame," he laughed.

"Shame humbles a ninja into a getting better," quoted Orochimaru sagely.

Nodding, Kabuto lifted a hand, focusing his chakra until it outlined his fingers in a warm, light green hue. He touched the end of his gash, felt skin meld with chakra, and dragged his fingers over the cut, hearing it sizzle as the wound closed itself. Unusually, a mark was left behind.

_Hm. He spoke of shame_, thought Kabuto, and he met Orochiamru's grin with a smirk of his own. _He infused his chakra into that kunai and cut me—its already healed, yet his chakra sustains it physically. It won't go away until I become stronger than him...and when that happens...he'll kill me_._ Huh…touché, my lord._

"Then I suppose the subject of the Uchiha boy is still tender," surmised Kabuto verbally, easily accepting his new facial feature.

Orochimaru grunted, becoming sulky. "Such a lovely body...so tender, soft, _flexible_…." That purple tongue that sickened Kabuto to no end slid out once more, moistening Orochimaru's pale-white lips. "What a terrible, _terrible_ loss…."

_Yes, if you happen to be a pedophile in snake skin_, thought Kabuto though he dared himself to speak it aloud. "So am I to assume that venturing to Moon-X has something to do with that terrible loss…?"

"This body is corroding from underneath me...the pain I feel right now would be enough for any other mortal to blow their brains out. I have..._friends_ there that I'd very much like to meet and have a little chat with…."

"Ah, I see," Kabuto nodded, reading between the lines. "Basically, there's a potential body for you to swap with. I'm curious as to who?"

Orochimaru let slip a smile so callous that it nearly touched his eyes. He looked almost clown-like. Something of a giggle reverberated in his throat as he said, "Let's just say it won't be the first time I've taken over a female's body."

And Kabuto left the room as Orochimaru's laughter filled the chamber. Outside in the hallway Kabuto shivered, not because of the chilly atmosphere but because of the images ramming into his unprepared brain. He had seen and done some weird shit during his life time—he was holding a bucket full of intestines for fucks sake—but hearing his lord talk of inhabiting the body of a woman, complete with that eerie giggle, was on a whole other level of shit.

"All for the sake of immortality," he muttered, pushing up his glasses once more. And then he smiled, beginning to walk while humming an upbeat tune so as to block further thoughts of his lords insidious plan. "Time to go show Kumicho my new beauty mark."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Night had fallen over the village of Konoha yet noise still cascaded over the air without a moments rest. If anything, the village was more rambunctious when the streetlights dimmed; people were getting off their stressful jobs, changing into club clothes, and heading out for a wild, forgetful evening.

Hands tucked deep in their pockets, Naruto and Crowa walked down an empty lane that would eventually let out near Naruto's home. To that affect, Crowa had remained respectfully silent, giving the blonde time to himself.

"You don't seem all that surprised by what's happened," noted Crowa offhandedly, deciding to end the hush.

"Why should I be? Honestly, I don't know how I didn't see it earlier. No duh you'd have to stay with me—the two castaways being forced to share a room. Shit, you'd have to be as blind as Ghosuke to not have seen it coming…."

"Up yours, fox boy."

Sidestepping a man who had stumbled out from a tavern, clearly drunk, Crowa fixed his eyes on the almost painful hue of white light that he had come to realize was Sasuke Uchiha, the boy he had been sent to replace. As it was, Crowa couldn't fully make out what Sasuke looked like, and when he spoke his voice sounded muffled like there was a hand over his mouth. The idea of being a replacement didn't really sit well with him but it was a direct order from his Queen. What else could he do besides bow and agree?

Frankly, this was something of a corrupt miracle. He was chosen from a pool of other far worthy candidates to be sent to one of the ninja villages as a transfer student of sorts—and it wasn't just any old village, no, it was Konoha. The reason behind such a titanic shift confused him at first, especially when Nonohime told him point blank that he was no longer part of his original team, but now he understood.

He was a guinea pig.

That term wasn't theirs; it was his. Where he thought he would be coming over to Konoha to learn new ways of life and co-mingle with regular humans, he had actually been sent on a long-term mission to assassinate the blonde-haired boy walking next to him so cheerfully and bring back their leader that was somehow trapped within his body.

Again he had to wonder why him? In many ways, he was like his best friend Rent. He just wanted to live a carefree life learning and experiencing things the way humans did. There were plenty of others in his clan that openly displayed their readiness to simply destroy Konoha and take back their leader by force...yet the Queen chose him.

The heads of the Fox clan nearly revolted at her choice but her word was law and she had the backing of the other major clans behind her. In all honesty, Crowa couldn't blame his Fox elders for becoming enraged. A dirty street orphan such as himself being picked over the notorieties and pure-bloods of his clan? Yeah...he felt certain he'd be pissed too. During his travel to Konoha he pondered why he was picked, what made him different from the top brass.

_It still confuses the shit out of me. Those royal kids...they always got dibs on everything happening in our clan. Surely the announcement of needing a fox hybrid for such an important task must have attracted those of noble blood—why'd Nonohime skip over them and choose me?_

"Crowa?"

_She came directly to me, found in the streets and held out her hand with that warm smile of hers…._

"Crowa."

_Introduced me to Rent...and Yumi...and Ban…and that asshole Kazu._

"Crowa, dude, watch o—"

_Gave me a reason to live again—_

He ran into something built like a brick wall and bounced off, landing hard on his back. His cap flew off. As he tried to catch his bearings, the tart stench of alcohol flared his nostrils.

"What the—?"

Looking up, Crowa beheld a rather large man, one dressed in an expensive white suit that gleamed under the streetlights. Smoking a cigar, he wore a fancy hat of the same material and had a pretty girl under each arm. "And what have we here?" His voice rumbled with a clear type of arrogance that caused Naruto to narrow his eyes. The large mans eyes swept from Naruto, who slowly turned back to stand his ground, to some boy on the ground with prosthetic ears on his head.

"Ah, shit. Here we go," Sasuke said with a sigh.

"Ooooh," squealed one of the women, and she pointed towards Crowa with a heavily-painted fingernail, "look at the pretty ears, Junkei-sama! I want a pair! Buy me a pair!"

"Junkei?" repeated Sasuke, flabbergasted and Naruto snickered. "_Junkei_? That fat blob of fat has a name like that? Well, I'll be a monkey's—"

Almost as if on cue, the other woman intensified her hold, fixing her face into one of the most simpering frowns Naruto had ever the displeasure to witness. "Me too, honey, me too! I want a pair in black!"

The first pouted. "Well, I want _white_!"

"Well, I want you all to get out of my way," Crowa said after climbing to his feet.

The man called Junkei stared down his cigar at Crowa, scoffing once before looking towards Naruto. "Look here, roach. It's bad enough that the Hokage allows animals like you to run about my village without a leash but don't go starting up some sort of fanclub!"

"Y'know, ya try to keep things civil and this happens. Tell ya what, here's a present for ya." And he was lifting his middle finger in the air before he could stop it, making sure that Junkei saw it clearly, even in the gloom. "And when in the hell did this become _your_ village?" asked Naruto with a cocked brow, tilting his head. "Last I checked Tsunade-chan ran this joint or did I not get the memo?"

The woman under Junkei's right arm reared back with a face that suggested she had been punched. "How dare you, you maggot! How dare you make fun of Junkei-sama!"

"No, no, honey, look here—Junkei made fun of _himself_ by trying to squeeze into that suit," corrected Sasuke kindly but no one outside of Naruto heard.

Figuring that line was too good to waste, Naruto repeated it, taking pleasure in watching as the mans face grew an angry shade of red. Without a word, he took out his cigar, handed it the second girl and then ushered them both back through the club doors after promising to buy the most expensive pair of fox ears money could buy.

"Why in the hell would you want to _buy_ fox ears?" wondered Crowa, annoyingly confused as all his ears had ever caused him in this village was trouble. He jammed his cap back on as the man whirled around to face him, his bulbous face set in a deep scowl. "Mine are real and—"

"I know they're real, you fool," snapped Junkei gruffly. "I've heard all the noise concerning a certain Moon-X individual come to muck up my quaint village of Konoha. What's the matter, little fox hybrid, your own kind too ashamed of you? Peh, creatures like you are always crawling out of the darkness of the sewers. You think hiding those atrocious ears and tails will make you normal? You think you'll be able to fit in?" A harsh laugh rolled past the fat that could be mistaken for lips. "Not in my village, urchin."

"I keep telling you," began Naruto hotly, feeling his hands curl into fists, "this ain't _your_—"

"After all the contributions I've made to the Leaf, it might as well be mine," sniffed Junkei haughtily.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Oh someone please shut this guy up. Never mind the fact that my clan and the Hyuuga are the Leaf's most generous contributors, but just because you fling money at charity doesn't make it yours," muttered Sasuke and he struck so quick his arm blurred—his fist passed right through Junkei's head without so much as a murmur. Sucking his teeth at that failure, Sasuke took a couple steps back. He glanced at Naruto standing there, barely controlling his rage, before smirking pleasantly, turning back to the pig in humans clothing. "Normally, I'd try to stop you from doing something stupid but this guy here...he needs a good ass-kicking. Have at 'em."

"And," continued Junkei, unable to hear or see Sasuke so he was slightly mystified when an animalistic grin spread through Naruto's lips, "I don't approve of a demon roaming my villages streets unattended. Where are the Anbu assigned to watch over you?" he wondered, glancing up as though he might catch a glimpse of one perched on a rooftop. "I'll have to have a word with Tsunade about th—"

A strange look overcame Junkei's face, like something blunt had struck him. And then he was falling forward, towards Naruto whose expression quickly morphed from eagerness to pure fear. Like only a ninja could, Naruto sidestepped, watching with some delight as Junkei crashed to the ground face-first, his heavy body causing the very ground to quake.

"Damn." Looking up, Naruto saw that Crowa stood over the fallen man with one hand raised. "Such a swift strike that I almost missed it. Kudos, Crowa, whoever trained you trained well."

The fox hybrid ignored him and dropped to one knee. He grabbed a tight fistful of Junkei's hair and jerked his head up; the entirety of Junkei's face was smashed in, suffused with blood that gushed from a broken nose and a busted lip, but Crowa didn't care. His top lip was curled back over a set of glistening white fangs that seemed to have grown in an instant. Suddenly, he was growling, the sound feral, echoing from deep within his chest. Naruto knew the sound well—it was a hurt wail, the cry of a wounded beast...he used to give those all the time, albeit his cries usually came when he was all alone in the safety of his home, tucked underneath his bed.

"I can forgive your biased ridicule of my ears but I will _not_ tolerate you speaking ill of my teammate like that. His name is Naruto Uzumaki, not demon. You'd best learn that shit most ricky-tick. But even worse than insulting my friend...you desecrate my Queen by speaking of her in such a way!" snarled Crowa, his eyes flaring with an intensity that for some unknown reason caused Naruto to feel funny. Crowa snatched Junkei's limp head closer, placing his lips right next to his ear. When next he spoke his voice seemed octaves deeper, born from a rage that he was just barely managing to control. "Tsunade-dono is my Queen now, and I am her faithful vassal. If I hear tell that you even fixed your lips to foul her name again..._I will hunt you down and take your life._"

And before anyone could move, Crowa's jaws snapped over Junkei's ear with a grisly _crunch_, his teeth easily splitting skin and tearing muscle.

"Whoa, whoa, Crowa!" yelled Naruto and even though his brain urged him to run forward his instincts forbade it completely, which left him jerking like he was suffering a seizure.

"I've marked you as my _bitch_, man called Junkei. You're my property now," whispered Crowa through a chunk of ear wedged between his fangs. "_Welcome to my world_."

A throaty gurgle emanated from Junkei's mouth.

For a moment, as Sasuke watched Crowa slam Junkei's head back into the ground with a stomach turning _crack_, the Uchiha could honestly say that little by little he was starting to enjoy Crowa's stoic company. The hybrid had obviously been brought up on the lower side of life—his constant lack of excitement and state of high awareness were proof of it—yet it was clear that he valued friendship to an almost dutiful level.

Like a monkey, Naruto bounded forward, gripping Junkei by the back of his blood spattered suit. He faced Crowa with a mischief-making type of smile. "How's that ear taste, bud?"

Holding up a finger, Crowa slurped it into his mouth, swished it about for a second or two, and then hacked it out on the road. "I've had better," he answered honestly and Naruto roared with laughter.

"That was flipping gross! But whatever, serves the bastard right. C'mon, gimme a hand with this fatass."

"Why?" asked Crowa though he grabbed an arm all the same. "He can't go anywhere, I'll find him."

Naruto shook his head. "Nah, I got a plan. He says this is his village, right? Well, we'll make sure the village knows its next ruler then."

"You don't really mean that, do you?" Crowa asked.

"Hell no. Come on! You'll see." Looking at Sasuke, Naruto jerked his head towards the Hokage monument. "Lead the way, Ghosuke."

Being a ghost/spirit/thing-that-people-can't-see had its perks, Sasuke figured as he took a single step forward, appearing beside Crowa. He never realized how mundane walking was until he learned the _spark_. If he had to put a term to it, performing the _spark_ reminded him greatly of the Fourth Hokage's signature Yellow Flash technique, except Sasuke didn't have to use any weapon other than his body to activate it. At his current level, the better half of three-hundred meters was as far as he could go without suffering.

He reached down, snatching off Crowa's knit cap allowing his fiery orange ears to pop up, flicking twice. When Crowa predictably fell over in surprise, his elliptical eyes wide, Sasuke smirked and tossed his hat to the winds where it was carried off into the night sky. "Hiding yourself is disgraceful," he said simply. "You are a fox hybrid, a visitor from another village. Wear your appendages proudly, Crow."

**XXXXXXXX**

A/N pt 2: I actually cut this one short lol. Reading overly long chapters can sometimes be a bother.


	8. Don't Make Me Laugh

Future Plans

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: My favorite character finally makes an entrance.

Chapter VIII: "Don't Make Me Laugh."

It was well after midnight by the time the door to Naruto's apartment began to creak open, giving way to two people who promptly fell out like logs, thudding to the hardwood floor.

As Naruto lifted a foot and kicked the door closed, Crowa, laying flat on his stomach, lifted his head a quarter of an inch to glare at the blonde. "If you _ever_," he began in a pant, "have me...do that again...I...will hurt you…."

Naruto coughed a laugh. "Man, d-don't be so sour. It was f-fun and you know it…."

Like the spirit he was, Sasuke phased through the door and glanced around Naruto's room with a probing eye like he always did. Since his death, some of the serious mourners took on the nasty habit of booby-trapping Naruto's apartment, sometimes with paint, sometimes with kunai, and sometimes with themselves, waiting to beat the ever loving snot out of the blonde.

As the days passed those attempts died away but every now and again, Sasuke would be able to pinpoint an ambush and send out a warning. This time, everything seemed on the up and up...well, as far as he could make out. Naruto's home was a dingy apartment complete with peeling paint and squeaky floorboards; his bedroom was part of the main sitting area and the bathroom opened through a door in the kitchen.

"How l-long till they find that f-fat bastard...?" Naruto wondered aloud and it was a funny sight to watch as the blonde literally dragged himself by his arms alone, crawling towards his mattress on the floor.

Crowa hadn't followed. He'd thrown his back against the entrance door and sat with one leg drawn up, resting his forehead on his knee. "He's my bitch now so I'll now when he's moved," he smiled wearily.

Sasuke found his usual spot on Naruto's lumpy, gray, two-seater couch where he proceeded to stretch out on his side. He had to admit, hanging that useless lump of fat Junkei upside-down next to Tsunade's stone monument like he was the sixth Hokage was a damn good prank. "What a day, what a day," he sighed, closing his eyes. This was another tick for Sasuke believing that he was somehow stuck in-between worlds. He could sleep, actually _dream_. "The dead can't dream...so ergo, I must not be dead…."

"What's the spirit saying?" asked Crowa, his ears tickling.

Laying face-down in his beat-up mattress, Naruto's reply was muffled. "Shed shumtin' 'bout deemin'…."

That went right over Crowa's head and he was too tired to ask for a repeat. "Even though I am your comrade...I feel compelled to tell you that what you plan on doing is disgraceful."

Understanding came instantaneously, to both Naruto and Sasuke, yet it was the former who actually moved, laying his head sideways so as to get a good look at Crowa. "Okay, two things. First thing, I invite you into my house and this is how you act—?"

"You didn't invite me," Crowa cut in lowly, letting his head thud back against the door, "I was foisted upon you. I apologize again."

"We're teammates, I don't mind all that much. And secondly, who told you about my, er...my plans?" The moment Crowa opened his mouth, Naruto rolled his eyes, suddenly feeling stupid. "Duh. Kaka-sensei and Sakura…."

Crowa nodded. "Bringing back the dead...why would you do such a thing?"

"Because he shouldn't have died."

"But he is—_has_. Leave him be."

"No."

"Give me good reason why playing God is acceptable in this village?"

"It's not," answered Naruto sullenly, eyeing the pair of legs hanging over his lumpy couch. "Everyone's against it—that's what Tsunade-chan wanted to talk to me about. She tried to make me see reason but I wasn't listening."

Fatigue momentarily left Crowa as he leapt at Naruto, landing on his knees and snatching the blonde up by the neck of his shirt. Sasuke barely lifted his head over the couch.

"Your Queen gave you an order and you...you _refused_?" he exclaimed, aghast. "Have you no more pride than Junkei?"

"It's not a matter of pride...or doing what's right and wrong," responded Naruto lowly. "I know messing around in the affairs of the afterlife is taboo—there's all sorts of scriptures forbidding the study under penalty of imprisonment and death. But," and Naruto's cerulean eyes burned into Crowa's, "that's not enough to stop me."

"You're a fool."

"I've been told that all my life."

Seeing no give in Naruto's eyes, Crowa released him, shoving him back. "The dead are supposed to remain dead...no matter how they died." He didn't even bother slouching back to the door and fell back on his bottom beside Naruto, exhausted of will and energy. "I want you to know this: you're being selfish."

"I don't see how but if you say so, either way I don't really care."

It crossed Crowa's mind to elbow drop his teammate for that remark but Naruto wasn't Rent and therefore probably wouldn't survive. "We're a _team_ now, we should move together in all situations regarding the team. What does Sakura say of this? Did you ask her?"

Naruto thought for a second. Had he asked her? "No, what sense would that make? Of course she'd be all for bringing Sasuke back—she was his number one fanboy—"

"Agreed," came Sasuke's voice over the couch and Crowa's ear pricked.

"He agrees," Naruto supplied. He buried the side of his burning face in the pillow, enjoying the cool fabric against his whiskers. "And besides, you were there when she sided with me. By your logic, it's two against one. Shouldn't you drop it now?"

Crowa ignored that. "I don't know how things are done in this village but you're Queen must not have tried hard to dissuade you. Did you she use anything other than words?"

"No."

"Then she wants you to succeed. There are an untold amount of things a queen of her position could have done to make you drop your plans—everything from expulsion to torture—but she settled for giving herself peace of mind that she at least tried to stop you. Choosing that route, she already knows you're going to do it anyway."

That caused Naruto to smile with slight relief. "Huh."

"You don't get to be ruler of a village by weakness and mere words," Crowa continued with a sigh. "If she'd really wanted to stop you she would have broke your mind, crippled you at least." On sudden thought, he pulled his tail from out of his pants and begin meticulously straightening stray hairs. Night grooming had always been a calming venture for him. "While our Queen may not be willing to stop you...I will."

Everything within the apartment stilled as though death had walked in—the rambunctious wildlife outside grew quiet, the natural lighting dimmed. Crowa stared at Naruto. Naruto stared back. Eyes conveyed more than words could and, quite suddenly, Naruto rolled over, putting his back to Crowa. "Good. Knowing I have people trying to stop me will only make me try harder…."

Conversation died after that. Crowa found himself a comfortable patch of wall between the bathroom door and kitchen entrance to put his back against; opposite the front door, it gave him view of the whole apartment. Not that it mattered. He could feel Naruto's chakra wave; it was anything but relaxed, more like a bed of carefully laid explosive tags just waiting to be disturbed. This didn't surprise or impress Crowa. If the pariah of Konoha couldn't manage at least this much protection, display at least that much potential, then why would he have ever been chosen to be a host for his one true king?

Crowa's nose twitched. His senses immediately seized up, opening to the fullest. Something had just crossed the barrier. His eyes shot to Naruto but the blonde was already up on one knee, face drenched with sleep but with a kunai held tight in his right hand.

"They're coming fast!" Crowa yelled, and without any forethought he fell forward onto all fours, back arched into the air. All the grooming had been for naught as his tail was kinked up in the worst way. The scent of bloodlust filling his nostrils threw him back in time to when Kazu used to play deadly shadow games with him and his old team; the force was staggering, he truly wanted to yell but he bit down on his tongue. The taste of blood grounded him.

Groggily, Sasuke lifted his head above the couch, peering around. He'd felt the chakra three minutes before Crowa had but sleep was a marvelous thing that he had no intention of letting go, alive or dead. "Wuzzgoin' on?"

Years of nearly being killed had helped Naruto gain a good footing on what murderous chakra felt like, and the group coming for him leaked it in droves. But maybe…maybe there was no worry. Naruto licked his top lip, brain working faster than he could keep up. If whoever it was, was being this obvious about it there was no way they could be any good.

Right?

He'd just opened his mouth to tell Crowa when his blood chilled. _How the fuck…?_ Dumbstruck, Naruto was rendered mute, only able to stare at the figure standing just behind Crowa. It was a female with violet hair in a spiked ponytail. Anko. She had her arms crossed, standing like she'd always been there. Her light brown, pupil-less eyes were locked onto Crowa who had yet to realize that their intruder had already infiltrated the apartment.

"And you simpletons really think you have the skill to dabble in the forbidden arts? Don't make me laugh."

Almost before she could finish speaking, Crowa whirled around, his arm a blur as he struck for blood. She vanished; his hand tore through the wall behind like it was made of paper.

In that split second, Naruto had been foolish enough to blink and lost track of—

"You'd be nothing but snake food…."

Something cool and metallic slid just under Naruto's neck, teasing his adam's apple. The need to say 'don't move' was pretty moot. As was the need to say 'drop your weapon' because it clattered to the floor uselessly and he lifted his empty hands as show of surrender.

"A-Anko, I—"

She cut him. Not deep enough to end him but deep enough to shed her favorite color of red.

"Permission to speak has not been granted," she whispered, her cold eyes surveying the room in a single glance. To her, the only other in the room was Crowa and he had stopped the obligatory 'safe' five feet away, eyes trained and catching every move she made. But Anko had more experience, more dexterity. "You with the ears," she called, and Naruto shivered when she licked her top lip sensually, prolonging the motion. "Bow before me."

Crowa's reply was exactly what Naruto expected.

"I will not."

"You have five seconds."

"Or what?"

"Or you go down."

Again, Crowa's nose twitched. "You smell like snakes," he frowned, adopting a crouched fighting stance. His choice was clear, unswayable. "Distrustful creatures."

"Two seconds."

Heart hammering, Naruto looked to Sasuke for help but the spirit was sprawled out over the top of the sofa, his upper half dangling limply. Was he...was he sleeping? Now? _That bastard!_

Something soft brushed Naruto's neck and it took his anger a moment to dissipate before he realized it was Anko, her silken lips caressing his flesh with the slightest of touches.

"Time's up."

Like a shadow, she faded from his sight and from his senses. He made to move when Crowa suddenly dove to the side in a spin just as Anko appeared, knelt down, stabbing a kunai into the floor where the hybrid had been seconds before. Growling deep in his throat, Crowa didn't give her a chance to unwrench it and leapt with all the grace of a deer. Time seemed to slow as Anko looked up, her eyes flashing with an untold amount of counter maneuvers. She began to roll back, reaching out with hands that easily caught Crowa's around the wrist. Using his own momentum, she planted a foot deep in his stomach and finished the roll, sending him flying over her and straight into the kitchen. Crowa yelled but it was cut short by an unholy orchestra of falling pots and pans and breaking cabinets followed by a dull _thud_.

There were so many questions Naruto burned to ask the stunning Tokubetsu Jonin but none of that shit mattered now. She was attacking his teammate with obvious intent to kill. She had to be stopped.

He took one step off his futon—and ran smack into Anko when she appeared in his way. By consequence, his face met her chest with significant force. It wouldn't be the first time as he figured Anko was just that kind of woman and he would have enjoyed it if not for the air of death surrounding her. He looked up her breast, into her eyes, and felt his throat wound sting.

"Word through the grapevine is that you've taken up playing God. Pranking the villagers got old? Need a bigger thrill, a longer lasting high?"

_I guess in a land of ninja, no secret is safe_. Now that she was this close to him, Naruto could smell something on her, the scent of one his natural enemies, _a snake_. And strangely, it intrigued him.

Somehow, Naruto found his spine amongst overwhelming fear. The look of horror over his face slowly morphed into one of contempt. "I don't know who you heard it from but you heard right! I'm gonna bring Sasuke back and I don't care what anyone says about it! Quit trying to stop me!"

A surreptitious smile tugged up Anko's lips. "You...are a glutton for punishment. Sasuke broke the rules, he became a rogue ninja."

"People deserve second chances."

"No, they don't." Her response was just as expected of the sadistic snake Queen. "Humans cause their own problems through self-infliction. More than ninety percent of the time, we know what we're doing, the consequences that can—_will_—follow and yet...we do it anyway. Sasuke Uchiha was the same way. That boy knew damn well what path he walked, but he was so steeped in vengeance, so arrogant of his pitiful abilities...well, you see how he ended up." Like Naruto had just answered a question right in class, she ruffled his blonde, spiky hair. "My little killer...won't you let the dead rest in the ground where they belong?"

"You weren't there!" yelled Naruto, wishing his face weren't stuck between her bosom. He got the feeling it slightly offset how upset he was in her eyes. "You weren't there when he was crying—when he was saying how sorry he was! He didn't mean it—he wanted another chance to do things right!"

"Of course he did." Her smile grew crooked. "The weak willed always see the error of their ways when its too late to fix things. That's the trick about hard truths, the ending epiphany of them is usually _permanent_."

Even though she couldn't see it, she felt Naruto open his mouth against her and preceded him. "Look, whiskers, no matter how you try to rationalize it, or defend him, the point of the matter is he fell into the dark side of shinobi. Actually, maybe it's better he _did_ die—better that than the hell he would've caught after returning. When you look at it that way, it's like you helped him to be free...right? You won't need to continue on your little asinine journey now, agreed?"

Her smell was clogging his brain, weakening his defenses. His legs trembled, the resolve to continue arguing began to grow dim like a fading lightbulb—

Something loosed an profane roar within the apartment and Naruto's eyes caught sight of Crowa rolling out the kitchen as though on fire, tumbling and gushing blood from his temple. Straightening up, the hybrid wasted no time in finding Anko. He bared his fangs, bottom lip quivering in a snarl. Turning his head, he spat blood.

"What...do you want?" he asked, walking sideways rather than right at her. That first exchange had been enough of an eyeopener for him. There was to be no victory here. She was beyond him in every category. In a sense, her lusting aura reminded him greatly of Yumi's, in a sense that they both reeked of ultra-violence. He had no idea what her deal was but the obvious was true: this woman prided herself walking close to the brink of death. "What business do you have here?"

"I have no business with you," she spoke softly, not even bothering to look at the hybrid. "You have smarts—well, in this case you do. You can at least see the futility in bringing back the dead." She took a step back, gripping Naruto under his chin. "In all honesty, I couldn't care less whether you brought back the Uchiha or got yourself killed. This is about your selfish actions that could lead to an all out war."

Her words mimicked Crowa's to an annoying degree. She increased her grip over his chin when he showed signs of turning away.

"How in the hell can this possibly cause war?" he questioned roughly.

"Let's say you and your mediocre skills do lead you to Orochimaru—and trust me, you've got about a snowballs chance in hell of that—but if you did...you're leaf-nin. Orochimaru might be an Oto-nin but we can't be sure he hasn't sided himself with other countries, other villages. You lack the skills necessary to carry out an S-class mission. No. That would be above S-rank, something off the books, unheard of. You would be caught, probably taken hostage, held for ransom, or else used for good reason to attack Konoha." Anko's eyes sparkled, no doubt thrilled by the thought of so much chaos. Her cheeks adopted a pinkish hue and—Naruto quirked an eyebrow—her chest began to heave.

_The hell_, thought Naruto, watching as her lips parted somewhat, _is she getting off on that or something…?_

"Mmmm...would you really want the glistening blood of all those civilians on your hands?" and her voice had grown husky, almost growling the question out.

Naruto's answer was quite harsh, but honest. "Very few in this village actually matter to me. The ones that don't, like the ones who hunt me, try to stake me, hiss at me, call me 'demon', booby trap my house, they can all burn in hell for all I care."

The glee in Anko's eyes died. She suddenly sidestepped to the left, revealing Crowa in her wake, his clawed hand trying to shank her from the back. There were no words to be said. All Naruto remembered was Anko driving her knee into Crowa's side, falling him like a sack of potatoes where he lay, motionless.

Something cracked off Naruto's cheek and his world spun. He stumbled into the wall, one eye closed to the pain raging through the left side of his head. Anko had slapped him so fast that his body couldn't react quick enough to dodge. She advanced on him, hips swinging hypnotically.

"Why are you Kakashi's student? Clearly you're too dangerous and ill minded to wear that hitae-ate. If he's not careful...you could wind up like that Uchiha boy."

Naruto's cerulean eyes looked at the mass of unconscious flesh that was Crowa, then slowly drifted up into Anko's passive face. That was the last thing he remembered before a haunting darkness punched him in the nose.

He was falling in a sea of nothing.

The pain in his face was nulled by the feeling of being kicked in the stomach. He wanted to barf but the fall was disorienting—he couldn't tell which way was up or down.

Naruto's body thudded to the floor.

Eye slitted, Anko stared down at the unconscious blonde. "I know you can hear me, Naruto. Your subconscious is heightened better than anyone else's because of your little..._inner_ comrade." She knelt down beside him, picking up the kunai he'd dropped. A second later it was to his throat. "Until you get these delusions out of your messed up head...never show your face to me again. I don't care if we cross each other on the streets—I see you, you're never walking upright again. For some odd reason, you think this is a game: bringing back the dead, tracking down Orochimaru, somehow getting him to obey you. You already have most of the village out for your blood, don't make me one of them. I'll end you and not even think twice about it. Consider this a warning..._let it go_."

She dropped the kunai and was gone before it clunked to the floor.

**XXXXXXXXX**

Unfiltered sunlight rained down on Naruto in warm rays that illumined the entire apartment. He twitched, eyes opening against the crust that tried to keep them closed. In silence he laid there like he was paralyzed, letting the memories of last night wash over him. Anko...fighting Crowa...that damnable scent of hers that made him a fool...talks of inciting war….

_She never wants to see my face again_….

Naruto pushed himself up on wavering arms. His stomach lurched and something hot ran up his throat—he swallowed, hard, forcing it back down. It took the better half of ten minutes to actually stand, not counting all the times his legs gave way. He turned unsteadily and saw Crowa was still on his side, still unconscious. There was a stagnant pool of blood around his mess of orange hair but he seemed to be breathing. In fact, as Naruto stepped closer, he found that Crowa was snoring.

He looked towards the couch, unsurprised to see that Sasuke hadn't moved an inch since flopping over the top. What in the world was wrong with him? With as much murderous chakra Anko was blaring he should have been sitting on pins and needles...but all he did was sleep.

"Why d-did she come?" he wondered limping into the bathroom. He flicked on the light, took a look in the cracked mirror, and stared...just stared. He figured somewhere between watching Anko walk towards him and passing out, she'd decked him one in the nose because the lower half of his face was caked in dried blood. He smiled at the gruesome sight and flakes of scarlet chipped off. It was all to clear that the nine-tails had fixed his broken nose while he slept, the cut on his throat as well, and for that he was grateful.

After washing his face, and subsequently the stained sink, Naruto stepped over Crowa's limp form and left his apartment. He was instantly caught in the morning breeze and shed his orange jacket, hanging it over the railing. He tugged on his blue undershirt allowing air to perforate every inch it could.

"I ain't got time for you jerks to wake up. I'm gonna see Tsunade-chan about this, find out why that crazy snake bitch tried to kill us…." He spared his comatose teammates one last glance before closing the door. "When I get back you guys better be up."

**XXXXXXXXX**

The sky was still a hazy orange by the time Naruto made it to the Hokage's building. As usual, he kept his gaze straightforward and ignored all the hissing sent his way. The mutterings didn't deter him and, also as usual, nobody stopped to tell him to leave or to ask him to show papers allowing him to be there.

Almost as she were right beside him, Anko's words passed over his ears. _Would you really want the glistening blood of all those civilians on your hands…?_

Another voice soon followed hers, one that lanced a white-hot fury from the pit of his stomach. _**Why did you lie to that woman, little one? When she asked if you cared why didn't you just answer truthfully? Are you so weak-willed that you must lie to protect yourself from your own feelings?**_

Naruto's cerulean eyes shot left to right trying to make sure no one else had heard that. It was a stupid thing to do as the voice echoed from within his mind but still, there was the Yamanaka clan, not to mention other clans with skills unknown.

_I didn't want to give the wrong answer and die. She looked more than willing._

_**How do you know you chose right?**_

_I'm still breathing. Now shut up._

He opened the door to Tsunade's office, steeling himself mentally when he spotted her seated behind her desk, a ritualistic stack of paperwork on either end. Naruto froze instinctually but Tsunade didn't look up from the piece of parchment paper she held at arm's length. Keeping his eyes trained on her, he snuck in feeling extremely daft. He was acting like a little cub, trying to see how far it could go before it's mother eventually scolded it.

_**You **_**are **_**a little cub**_, the voice within reminded him with a rumbling chortle.

Only wishing to silence that infernal demon, Naruto raised a fist and, without any forethought, punched himself hard in the gut. He nearly vomited, the motions he went through enough to cause Tsunade to look up, her expression bewildered.

"What _are_ you doing?"

"N-nothing," he groaned, feeling more daft than before. With an arm slung over his searing midsection, he approached the new chair before her desk and took a seat, wincing. "I...uh, now this m-might sound straight but...that crazy snake lady from the Chunin exams—"

"Anko Mitarashi," supplied Tsunade absently. Her eyes slowly went back to the paper in her hands. "Her name is Anko Mitarashi. Anko-san to you."

Naruto blinked. "I'm not calling her that."

"And why not?"

"Because that chick tried to kill me last night!" he suddenly yelled, remembering his reason for even coming here. He jabbed a finger at the Hokage. "Did you send her? I bet you did! She knew what I was planning to do and starting going about this and that, I didn't know what to do!" A dull prickling struck his healed nose. "That crazy snake licker cut me on the throat, beat the snot outta Crowa, then decked me in the nose!"

"I see." Tsunade sounded almost appreciative, her eyes narrowing at the parchment. "And what did she say exactly?"

"What did she say? What did she—why does it matter? She friggin' assaulted me in my own home! At first I couldn't tell if I was going to be killed or molested!"

Tsunade couldn't help but giggle at that, now slightly regretting she hadn't spied using the Third's crystal ball. "I sincerely doubt you would've been molested, Naruto."

Naruto shuddered, half with dread, half with regret. "You weren't there, man. Anyway, she told me to just let Sasuke stay dead." Naruto sighed, letting his head sag forward. "Basically, she said Sasuke got what he deserved and that it was a stupid thought to have, bringing him back."

"I see," Tsunade repeated, and, after marking a certain section of her paper with a pencil, she set it down and gave Naruto her full attention. Staring at the young genin she could see something was troubling him. "So my words and threats don't sway you but hers does? Did she scare you that badly?"

That was the fastest way to cut the bull and get him vexed enough to tell the truth, she figured, and she was proved right when Naruto's head shot up, that rudimentary defiant glint back in his eyes.

"Hell no she didn't scare me, and I'm not gonna back down!" He stood, slamming his hand on the Hokage's desk; the stacks of paper jiggled precariously. "I promised the others that I'd be there, and I will. Believe it!" He glared at Tsunade, waiting for her to speak, to call him silly, but she didn't. She only stared back with composed eyes. Suddenly embarrassed by his outburst, Naruto felt his face glow somewhat and settled down, clearing his throat. "Well...uh, it's not that I'm scared, it's just...why does she care? She doesn't know me, can't seem to stand Sasuke. This has nothing to do with her."

"Actually," began Tsunade, and she rested her elbows on the desk, interlocking her fingers and staring over them, "this quite possibly has more to do with her than you."

"What?"

Tsunade had only just opened her mouth when she paused, closed it, and glanced over her shoulder. She seemed to be staring intently out the window yet when Naruto followed her gaze, he saw nothing. This lasted a few more seconds before she turned around again. "Permission granted," she uttered cryptically. Naruto stared. "Anko is...well, she _was_ once Orochimaru's student."

Naruto's breath caught, his eyes widening.

"What started out as a simple, heartfelt student-teacher union soon become nothing but a nightmarish roller-coaster of sadistic experimentations and betrayal. Orochimaru took her from the village. After that, she can't remember much outside of pain, the constant fear of being killed. Her life as a child could be likened to yours," said Tsunade softly. "I'm actually surprised she came back to the Hidden Leaf. Apparently, she'd been taken, subjected to tests that border-lined mutilation, found to be incompatible with his latest desires, and cast aside."

Listening to this, Naruto's mouth grew dry and he could barely swallow. He didn't know...he hadn't the slightest clue that…and when she told him about Orochimaru, she wasn't saying that just to dissuade him, she was perhaps the only person who knew that traitor better than anyone.

"It took Anko months, years to come out of her shell after she was found." Tsunade inhaled deeply, then exhaled, staring Naruto deep into his eyes. "If there is an upside to all of her torture it's the unarguable fact that her skills are through the roof. She also has a high tolerance for pain, which unfortunately makes her an ideal candidate for S-class missions should be captured and beaten for information. Somewhere down the line she picked up a liking for it and would sometimes let herself be purposefully captured just for the sheer thrill of it."

Naruto had no trouble believing that. He could vividly remember how she acted when she spoke of war breaking out, about all the civilians dying; and the pheromones she produced were annoyingly intoxicating.

_**Definitely mate material**_.

The blonde jerked in his chair, cheeks flushed. "So...s-so she knows that snake bastard better than anyone, right?"

With a nod, Tsunade pulled another paper from the stack on her right, sighing as she began to read. "I would say so."

And there it was. The final piece to actually bring his plan together! Sitting there in the Hokage's office, Naruto's brain began to work feverishly; he could feel those rusty gears turning, creaking, moving with a purpose. Anko...Anko...Anko...he had to talk to her—no, he had to _recruit_ her. She was Orochimaru's student, his prodigy...it was quite possible that she would like to get revenge for what he'd done to her! No, more than possible, of course she did! Naruto chewed on his bottom lip, using the pain to steady himself as his thoughts began to whirlwind out of control.

_Never show your face to me again_. That was what she had said. He had no intention at all of dying at the moment so first he had to think of a way to meet her without being gutted.

_Yeah...this...this could work. Knowing the crazy chick she is I bet she already knows where Orochimaru is! No, no, that's stupid, that's stupid thinking. Of course she doesn't or she would've left already. But still, she's my next best option. _To be totally honest with himself, Naruto had no idea how he was to begin his mission to bring Sasuke back—he didn't know which way to go, who to talk to, or where to look—but now, a golden piece of information had just been dropped into his lap.

"_Naruto_!"

Jerking back to reality, Naruto looked up just in time to get flicked across his forehead, the power behind it sending him and the chair toppling backwards.

"Now that I've got your attention, I must thank you," spoke Tsunade as he struggled to pick himself up.

"F-for what?"

"It was quite tempting to leave Junkei strung up like he was," she sniffed, smiling when Naruto whipped around to stare at her in disbelief. "The Anbu shadowing you told me that mans delusional claims and I must say...he had it coming. He's a benefactor of the _lowest_ percentile. His contributions account for so little that I'm going to give them back."

A huge smile broke out over Naruto's face as he set the chair upright, scratching behind his head. "Aw, man, that was me just, y'know, doin' what I do best."

"Indeed," nodded Tsunade, then added crisply, "Now, you will write a one-page apology for him and hand it into me tomorrow."

Naruto's eyes bugged. "The hey? Why? He should be the one who—"

"Regardless of what blasphemies were uttered, you should have come to me about it. I would have reprimanded him myself. He demanded you bow down and apologize but I talked him into an apology letter."

Rage began building just behind Naruto's chest but he conntained it by squeezing his hands into trembling fists. "You should have talked him into sucking my—!"

"Regardless of what little he gives, he _still_ gives, and that kind of charity always gets the people's good graces. He was making such a commotion when we released him I thought it best to nip it in the bud." Tsunade half-glanced at the angered boy. "Point blank, you were in the wrong and must be held accountable for it, you _and_ Crowa." Now she laughed, her voice settling Naruto marginally. "I can't believe that boy bit off a piece of Junkei's ear! Priceless," she chuckled, shaking her head. "He began raising hell about that as well. While he wanted you to bow, he wanted Crowa expelled from the village for 'acts of belligerent violence'. While you two are writing your papers please stress to Crowa how urgent it is that he refrain from such acts in the future. I'm trying to help Moon-X, not give the people good cause to further despise them."

Holding his tongue had never proved harder than that moment but somehow, Tsunade's little smirk helped. She was grateful they'd stuck up for her, and that's all that mattered. He'd write that damn paper, oh yes he would, then he'd probably soak it in piss and hand it directly to Junkei.

"I'll get started on it right away, Tsunade-chan," he stated formally, bowing. "And thank you, for the information. You've helped me a great deal today."

Tsunade moved the paper to cover her face. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about, boy. Just be sure hand in the papers on time."

That may be what she said on the outside but to Naruto's trained ears it was interpreted to mean, "Just don't get yourself killed."

"I won't," he answered and he wrenched the door open, smiling intrepidly as his thoughts once again switched to Anko.

_I'll get her. Somehow._


	9. First Headband, First Mission

Future Plans

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! ^_^ Ever have one of those stories that just grabs you and starts doing things by itself, like coming up with its own plot and direction? Don't that just feel awesome?

Chapter IX: First Headband, First Mission

**VVVVVVVVVVVV**

"There was no way we could've won that."

"I know that."

"I'm not sure you do," said Crowa easily, hands in his pocket. "We could have lost our lives last night, Naruto. How much of a wake up call do you need? This…is…_dangerous. _You plan on going after the person who trained _that_—that snakelike beast in women's skin. We couldn't even touch her so how do you plan to not only find her sensei, but get him to help us? What's your strategy?"

An exasperated sigh passed Naruto's lips. All those questions, they were beyond annoying, even more so because he knew he didn't have any answers. He planned to recruit Anko but he refused to enlighten Crowa to the idea, knowing the hybrid would only overact.

"Call it gut instinct," he replied.

Crowa turned to stare at him with emotionless eyes. "Gut...instinct," he repeated shortly. "I see. You're looking to get us killed."

"Rather killed for a teammate than killed for nothing."

"I'd rather live."

Walking just before the two of them and trying his damnedest to block out their bickering, Sasuke Uchiha, Konoha's resident ghost, continued to replay last night over and over again in his mind. He remembered feeling Anko's murderous chakra, also when she entered through the window in the bathroom...but after that everything got hazy and pain settled in. He sucked his teeth. What did it mean? He had been sleepy, yeah, but to fall out unconscious just like that with no prior indication?

He was told that the moment Anko made herself known, he passed out and remained as thus until just a few hours ago. Why? Had it been because he'd worn himself that day? Or maybe Anko had done something?

_The latter seems most conceivable...but how? She didn't have time—she couldn't have possibly slipped me anything, she can't even see me!_

"Sasuke!" yelled Naruto so suddenly that the spirit jerked. "Dude, calm down! I don't even know what you're stressin' over but it's making _me_ nervous!"

Crowa lifted a hand, training his eyes on the human-sized, irradiated blob drifting along next to Naruto. "I agree. What _are_ you worrying about?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Nothing. I don't much reveal stuff to others who aren't for me."

"What'd he say?"

Naruto choked. "He, uh...he—y'know, I barely heard him myself," he chuckled nervously. "Something about Anko, though."

While Crowa nodded, Sasuke burned him with a thick glare. "That's not what I said. You can hear me just fine."

_Yeah, and I don't really feel like any more arguing_, thought Naruto firmly._ I'm doing what I'm gonna do so it's pointless to drag it out any further. _

The trio walked down the lanes of Konoha heading towards the Hokage's tower. It was high noon and if Naruto thought people had been staring before, it was nothing compared to the rubbernecking going on now that Crowa was going all natural, letting his fiery orange ears and tail show proudly. Thankfully, no one said or did anything but Naruto could see plenty of people clutching their belongings tighter, holding hands with their frightened children as they tried to rush by. They were given a wide birth as they walked.

"Good to see that the prejudice is still alive and kicking," Crowa uttered, nodding to a street vendor selling kunai who instantly retreated further into his shop. "Gotta love Konoha."

Naruto elbowed him. "If you don't feel like rooting for your team then get the hell outta the stadium," he smirked, lifting a single sheet of paper. "You brought along the apology, right?" The moment he got back to his apartment, he'd roused Crowa and Sasuke from their slumber and set to work on his punishment. It sucked—oh hell yeah it did—but they had honor.

Wordlessly, Crowa fished a balled up wad of paper from his pocket. "Right here," he muttered, uncrumpling it.

Sasuke shook his head. "I can't believe Tsunade-sama made you guys do that. I couldn't care less how much that prick gave to the community, to Konoha...that's no excuse to be a straight dick about it."

"What'd he say?"

Naruto repeated it truthfully this time, wondering how much longer he'd have to play the go-between.

To this, Crowa sniggered, the sound animalistic. "My thoughts exactly, which is way I wrote a different kind of apology." He turned it to Naruto and the shining blob of light. "See?"

Quickly scanning the note, Naruto faced forward, his nose catching the scent of ramen like a bloodhounds. "All I see is your average 'sorry I fucked with you' letter. You even signed the dang thing," he added, second-glancing his own paper. In contrast to Crowa's page-long apology, his was only two paragraphs. Made him start to think he should add more.

_Naw, screw that._

Still smirking, Crowa crushed his letter and stuffed it back in his pocket. "That wasn't red ink I wrote it in—it was my blood."

Naruto stumbled. "W-what? Why?"

"Our blood is linked to our chakra, meaning through intensive training we can control it. My people of Moon-X experimented with that aspect of chakra integration rather than learning specific jutsu's and techniques catered to our strengths. We gathered our offense through ourselves and nature," explained Crowa somewhat fondly, as though reminiscing.

Enlightenment struck Naruto and he had just opened his mouth when Sasuke scoffed. "The same can be said for _real_ world ninja's," he muttered under his breath. "All elemental styles of ninjutsu draw from nature through some shape or form. What you do is nothing special. Wanna impress me? Show me something the people from Moon-X can do that ninja such as us can't do ten times faster and better."

"What'd he say?"

It crossed Naruto's mind to lie again but that would take effort and only muddle feelings that would be better off in the open. He repeated Sasuke's statement word for word, noticing how the Uchiha stared at him with dumbstruck eyes.

_You...actually repeated it_, thought Sasuke, astounded.

_I said I'm sick of arguing...but lying only breeds more arguments_. Naruto turned to Crowa, wanting to gauge his reaction, but was slightly taken aback when the hybrid only put a hand to his chin, seemingly in deep thought. "Crowa? Didn't you hear me?"

"Yeah, and I'm thinking. Follow me for a second."

He led them to a pork bun kiosk, taking a seat at one of the many tables surrounding it. The moment he sat down, a good majority of the customers dispersed, hurriedly stepping in different directions like they were trying to confuse him on their destination. By the time Naruto and Sasuke sat down as well, the kiosk was barren, the owner putting up a 'closed' sign in the main window. Surprisingly, this behavior did nothing to deter Crowa who accepted it in stride.

"What're we doing, getting food?" wondered Naruto, his stomach rumbling. He hadn't eaten breakfast being so concentrated over recruitment plans for Anko and that asinine apology letter. In short, food was calling. "You hungry or something?"

Closing his eyes, Crowa held up a finger. "No. Be quiet for a second."

"What're you doing?"

"Showing you the power of natural chakra—and I said be quiet."

Naruto turned to Sasuke who looked extremely dubious but kept silent. Lost in his own thoughts about what Crowa was doing, it took Naruto a few seconds to realize that the wind no longer graced them with its breeze—indeed, everything had gotten still, oddly...eerily...still. With an eyebrow cocked, Naruto looked around. People were everywhere, walking animatedly yet...he couldn't hear them, couldn't hear their footfalls—

_Sasuke...what in the hell is he doing? I can't—are your ears okay? I can't hear anything!_

Before Sasuke could answer, Crowa stirred as though coming out of a deep slumber, his eyes fluttering open. An instant later, something popped deep within Naruto's ears and the sound returned with an almost painful blast; he could feel the wind over his sweat-drenched face. Caressing a spot just below his ear, Naruto grunted out, "Alright, I'm stumped. What did you do?"

Crowa pointed down the lane. "From half a kilometer that way"—he then jerked a thumb over his shoulder—"to half a kilometer that way...there are approximately five-hundred and thirty-eight people walking. Three-hundred and twenty are male, one-hundred twenty-six are female, and the remaining ninety-two are students our age or lower."

"Really?" Naruto's head was a blur as he looked up and down the road, trying to count heads but giving up after thirty. "But—but how did—?"

"He used vibrations from the earth...then assimilated it to his own personal chakra," explained Sasuke absentmindedly.

"You value that soul highly—I mean, you value Sasuke highly so I'm sure whatever he just said is correct." Crowa once again pulled out his apology letter. "Through the different intensities of the footfalls it's easy to determine gender and age. I pushed a quarter of my chakra into my feet, spreading them like roots into the ground. All I got from that short build-up was half a kilometer—if I'd pushed all, then I would've been able to scout this entire village...but then I'd be dead, my chakra too spread out to return safely."

Ever since Sasuke died, Naruto had taken to studying all forms of shinobi arts including ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, and others. He knew the application of every single type of ninja art would be necessary in reviving the dead and he didn't want to cut corners, especially when a backfire could put him in the grave. Before, Crowa's explanation would have left him looking befuddled but now, now that his brain had been awakened, he understood perfectly.

"So that's the power of natural chakra." He smirked at Sasuke. "Impressed yet?"

Sasuke gave a conceding nod. "It'll do for now."

"But that's not all," continued Crowa, and he tapped the paper twice with his ring finger and thrice with his pointing. "Watch."

At first, Naruto noticed nothing. The letter remained as plain and ordinary as when he'd first given it to Crowa. His head began to tilt sideways, however, when the letters began to rise up off the paper; they swirled together into a glob of shimmering scarlet before spreading out again, forming not only new letters but new words altogether.

"The fuck…?"

Now it read:

_This isn't an apology letter, it's a declaration of war. You will leave Konoha within the next sixteen hours or I will come find you. Breathe a word of this letter's contents and I'll make sure I'm the last person you ever see. Believe my words, I know where you are._

Naruto sported a fanged grin. "Now _that's_ an apology letter! I wish I could do that blood thing!"

"With a little training, you can," said Crowa, stowing the letter. "I partook of that fat bastard's chakra when I bit him and infused it with the writing. It'll only reveal the _true_ message when he touches it. God help him if he shows it to anyone else."

Crowa's tactics seemed to spark a sense of reverence within Sasuke. He gave three golf claps. "Well I'll be, the little fox can hold his own. Maybe you'll be of some use after all."

Naruto quoted Sasuke's words before a repeat could be asked for.

Crowa stood. "I'm still against the idea of bringing you back, Sasuke, so don't give me too much praise. Now, let's go."

The trio made it to the Hokage's tower, checked themselves in, and traversed the unusually long hallway that led to the Hokage's chambers. Naruto had only rapped on the door once when it was flung upon, revealing a wide-eyed Shizune.

"Shi-chan!" he greeted with a two-fingered salute. "Long time no see!"

"N-N-Naruto?" she stuttered, looking faint.

Naruto stared, instantly wary. "Yeah…?"

The look on Shizune's face suggested she'd seen a ghost. She completely ignored Crowa who stared between the two. "You...you actually came…."

_The hell is up with this chick?_ Naruto lifted his apology letter. "Well, yeah, Tsunade-sama told me I had to write this bogus ass apology for that fat sack of shit Junkei whatever-his-last-name-is."

Like she'd been clubbed over the head with something blunt, Shizune stepped back, eyes wide, mouth hanging open, and held out an arm for them to pass. "I...I don't know what to say…."

"I say it was a pain in the ass," grumbled Naruto as they marched up to the main desk where Tsunade sat, observing them with a coy smile. He slammed the paper down; Crowa gently laid his before her, bowing. "There. We did it, hope the fat fuck doesn't choke on 'em."

Crowa's forehead nearly scrapped her desk so deep was his bow. "As you ordered, Tsunade-dono."

Looking back, Sasuke couldn't figure out Shizune's strange behavior. She had shut the door and now stood looking horrified. "Umm...what is that chick's problem? She...she can't see me, can she?"

"Of course not," muttered Naruto, then said aloud to Tsunade, "Tsunade-sama, what's up with your scribe?"

Tsunade suddenly laughed, pulling their papers towards her for a quick read. "And he uses a six-dollar word, _scribe_. Don't pay Shizune no mind, she's just suffering from a mild case of shock."

"Why?"

"Because we made a little bet," smiled Tsunade. "I told her about your 'punishment' and she said there was no way that you would do the paper. I bet her you would."

Now Naruto was smiling. "How much was this bet for?"

"For the next week, Shizune will be handling my paperwork personally." The exaltation that spread over Tsunade's was such that she seemed to be shining. She inhaled the sweet air. "Oh yes, the legendary sucker can hit the jackpot too, eh, Shizune?"

Snapping out of her stupor, Shizune marched up to Naruto—Sasuke deftly stepped out of the way, another reflex—and grabbed Naruto by the front of his shirt. "_Who are you_?" she ground out, shaking him back and forth violently. Naruto started to laugh. "The Naruto I know would _never_ have done this! He would have found Junkei and spit in his face!"

Sensing no hostility in Shizune's behavior—add to it, Naruto was absolutely guffawing—Crowa took to looking around his new Queen's quarters, his eyes shining with fascination. With all the shelves and stacks of untouched paperwork, it was quite different from Nonohime-dono's messy quarters to which he was usually summoned.

"It's—me—it's—_me_!" Naruto struggled to get out between shakes.

Forced to accept his words as truth, Shizune released him, her chest rising and falling rapidly in deep pants. "Do you...have any idea...what you've done?"

Naruto chuckled, straightening his orange parka. "That's your fault, Shi-chan. The Naruto you knew is gone, he died with Sasuke," he stated, jerking his head towards the invisible ninja next to him. "I've grown in the past two months than all my years on this earth. I'm sorry that it took the death of a friend to see how stupid I was acting…." He paused, smirking at Shizune. "I learned first and foremost that you need to _listen_ when others of a higher position speak, even if they don't make sense or you don't agree with them. I didn't agree with Tsunade-sama but she laid down a rule so I followed it."

"That's kinda backwards-assed," started Sasuke suddenly, "because she told you to forget bringing me back but you're doing it anyway."

"You just contradicted yourself, Naruto," noticed Tsunade. She paper clipped their papers together. "You say one should listen to their C.O's yet you're dead-set on reviving Sasuke Uchiha even after I've told you no."

"I didn't say _I_ would listen. I've realized the importance of it, never said anything about following it. The letter for Junkei was done because I know in the back of my subconscious that yeah, I was wrong but reviving Sasuke...no, I don't think I'm wrong at all."

His words caused Tsunade to sigh. "Alright, alright. Have it your way." Her golden-amber eyes shifted to a spot on Naruto's right. "I suppose you're okay with all of this? Sasuke?"

Naruto choked, his stomach lurching. Could she…?

"Calm down, idiot. You pointed out my position not two minutes ago," snorted Sasuke. He faced the Hokage with a formal bow. "Honestly, I am the one who most wants Naruto to give up this ambition of his. I believe it has self-destructive properties and will only lead to his own untimely death. I've spent the last two months trying to persuade him otherwise but he's remained steadfast so I've given up. Although still against it, I cannot stop him physically so I'll assist him mentally."

Crowa's ears twitched. "That sounded truthful, whatever he said."

Acting as a mouthpiece once again, Naruto repeated Sasuke's words to the Hokage. When he finished, Crowa nodded understandingly, Shizune furrowed her brow in thought, and the corner of Tsunade's mouth quirked up in a smile.

"I see. So one _can_ get wiser in death. I trust if this impossible task comes to fruition that you'll decide things with a more levelheaded manner, and that you won't mind swearing an oath of fealty to me."

"Tsunade-sama—" started Naruto reproachfully but Sasuke held up a hand.

"I will. Naruto, tell her I will."

"He says...he will."

Tsunade leaned forward over her desk, her expression suddenly grievous. "Also, you should know that if you come back, that if you ever draw air again and return to Konoha...you'll be imprisoned for no less than five years for acts of treason, abandonment, and nearly causing five genin to lose their lives."

Naruto's eyes flared, his hands clenching so tightly that he drew blood. "Tsunade-sama! That's—what do you mean imprisonment?" he bellowed, starting towards the desk but Crowa threw an arm out, catching him in the chest.

"Naruto! Calm yourself—the Queen is speaking with Sasuke!" He pushed Naruto back, striking a low-guard stance, clearly ready to fight if the blonde rushed again. "Let him answer!"

All eyes fell upon Sasuke who stood there, his expression neutral. It was only natural that Tsunade would bring this subject up, he figured, looking down at his zori. He'd done a great deal of damage to the hidden leaf, and there had to be atonement for it. Even if he wanted to argue the Hokage's claim and call it unfair, his pride as Uchiha would not allow it. When looked at objectively, only receiving five years had to be Tsunade's way of showing leniency as past cases of treason usually led to life, or worse; either way, Ibiki was left grinning sadistically.

_It's because I'm still young…going easy because I'm still a kid. _Indignation burrowed deep into Sasuke's chest and he frowned, exuding a cold pressure that ran a shudder down Naruto's spine.

"Sasuke…."

"I tried to leave Konoha...committed treason...I—I nearly got five of the people looking out for me _killed_...and all I get is five years? What's that supposed to be, a year for each genin injured?" Sasuke lifted his head, glaring at Tsunade with all the intensity of a basilisk. "NO!" he suddenly bellowed and Crowa stumbled back, slapping hands to his ears. "No—don't you...don't you sit there and try to be lenient with me, Tsunade-sama!" He jabbed a finger at the Hokage. "I deserve life—I deserve to be brought back and put to death! I don't deserve second chances—everything everyone's ever said to dissuade Naruto is right! I acted foolish, I only saw my error when it was too late, I...I—"

An amalgam of madness and sorrow crashed into Sasuke and he fell to his knees, trembling, struggling to understand why the Hokage of all people was showing him such humane treatment after all he'd done to her village.

"Please...please, don't let me come back, Tsunade-sama," he begged softly, and Naruto inhaled sharply when Sasuke bent forward, head bowed, hands joined before him. "After all I've done to the person who's trying most to help me...please, let me stay dead. I'll…I just can't trust myself enough for a second chance…."

His words left a harrowing silence in the room for the two who could hear him. While Naruto caught every word, Crowa began to pick up the Uchiha's voice after his loud proclamation. The both of them stood still as freshly carved statues.

"His response?" Tsunade's amiable voice broke the silence, brought her two genin out of their stupor. "By your reactions am I to assume he disagrees…?"

"Actually," began Naruto slowly, feeling short of breath, "it's the opposite…."

And he relayed the Uchiha's voice, growing hoarse halfway into it and turning the remainder over to Crowa who finished stoically.

Shizune tried to look at Sasuke but was off by a couple feet. "Is…that true?"

"Yes," answered Crowa in an instant.

Tsunade sat back in her chair. "I see." She tapped her foot on the ground. "Stand, Sasuke," she ordered, and shock ran across Naruto, Crowa, and Sasuke's faces. "I watched you through my crystal ball, Crowa," she said frankly. "Your techniques are quite honed for someone so young. You have my praise."

As Sasuke slowly climbed to his feet, Crowa bowed. "My queen…."

"I can feel another..._presence _here, lowered somewhat, so I gathered he was on his knees," said Tsunade. "To castrate yourself like that, to shed your Uchiha honor without a second thought...the five year imprisonment was a ruse, genin, a little test to see where your heart truly lay."

At first, Naruto couldn't believe his ears, then understanding set in and he chuckled, slapping a hand to his forehead. "Oh my…I can't believe this..."

Sasuke frowned. "That's not good enough. I want to be punished for what I've done," he said.

"What'd he say?" asked Crowa, hearing nothing but the usual buzz.

"He says he still wants to be punished."

Tsunade nodded to Shizune who began with, "This_ is_ his punishment. There is no higher way to atone for one's wrongdoing than death. Even more so for him because it seems he can't pass on, stuck in a form of purgatory. Given the difficulty of your mission, this may well take longer than the five years imprisonment the council suggested anyway—"

"Caveat to my former rule," interrupted Naruto, lifting a finger but pointing at nothing. "I will never, _never_ listen to the fossilized crones that make up your council, Tsunade-sama. Just thought you should know that beforehand. Even if they suddenly passed a decree that forced the people of Konoha to like me...I'd veto that bitch. That's how much I hate them."

Shizune giggled. "Yes, well, that aside—"

"Sasuke is serving his time," finished Tsunade. "Even if he doesn't think so or agree, it is what it is. I can see the sulking hasn't changed much," she added teasingly, to which a red hue overtook the Uchiha's face. "Now, onto other matters. There was a reason I had you two finish your papers today."

"After what just happened, I'm not surprised," muttered Naruto.

Bypassing her favorite blonde's remark, Tsunade beckoned to the hybrid. "Crowa, step forward." He did so immediately. "Answer me this: what are you missing that classifies you as a proper genin for the village of fire?"

"A heart of fire?"

"No. I wouldn't have accepted you into my village if you didn't have that from the beginning. It's something tangible, something that both Naruto and Sakura wear daily."

Crowa was stumped, though his face didn't show it.

"It's your headband, dude," answered Naruto, adjusting his with a cool smile. "To be a proper ninja of the village hidden in fire, you gotta have your own official hitai-ate. It stands for a lot of things—allegiance, pride, skill—but mostly that you represent one of the most badass villages in the entire world."

While her two genin shared a laugh, Tsunade sighed. "A little verbose but yes, that's essentially what it means. If you two hadn't come back today with your papers I would've had you go through the genin exams to get one the long way," she said, smiling at their gaunt reactions. "But for obeying orders, here you go."

And she extended both hands forward showing them a pristine leaf forehead protector. The slab of metal looked freshly made, the leaf insignia carved with an almost loving touch. What really caught everyone's eye was that the usual blue fabric had been replaced with a deep scarlet.

"Oh, that's cool," smirked Naruto as Crowa took it gingerly into his hands.

"I'll wear it proudly," vowed Crowa, tying it to his head.

"See that you do. Now, your cell leader is waiting for you down in cell 7's registered training area. It's time for your first mission together as a squad."

A lively spark ignited behind Naruto's eyes—one that many thought had been lost forever—and he grabbed Crowa by the back of his shirt. "Alright! Thanks, Tsunade-chan!" he called, reverting to her old name as he sped towards the door. "Quit draggin' ass, Ghosuke, we got a mission to get done!"

And with a _slam_, the door closed with enough force to rattle the shelves.

Waiting until she felt the hollow presence she knew to be Sasuke vanish along with Naruto, Tsunade threw her head back, stretching towards the ceiling. "Ah yes...time for my week-long break!" she exclaimed leaping to her feet.

"Tsunade-san, don't you think you should be trying harder to stop them? It seems like a childish game now but...I don't care what Naruto says, he's still the hardheaded little buffoon he's always been, and that means he'll do anything to make this happen! He's serious about bringing Sasuke back!"

"Yes, and I'm glad he is. Less trouble for the village if he's preoccupied," joked Tsunade.

Shizune face-palmed herself. "You're treating this like some little kids game, Tsunade-san! You know as well as I do that Naruto has the abnormal habit of making the impossible possible—if it were anybody else I'd call them a fool but Naruto, he...he actually frightens me because I _know_ he can do this if he tries hard enough!"

Still, Tsunade was nonplussed. "Shishi, seriously, don't worry about it too much. That's _my_ job," said Tsunade, putting a hand to her chest. "I'll shoulder this whether for good or bad when the time comes. What you _should_ be concerned with is upholding your end of the bet."

Tsunade smiled.

Shizune seemed to shrink in on herself. "You...you're not really going to hold me to that are you? I mean, you're the Hokage…."

"Then you shouldn't have bet me. Even a sucker gets lucky once; how long have I been saying that?" Walking up to her faithful friend, Tsunade patted her reassuringly on the shoulder. "Good luck, my friend. I'm gonna be in the onsen out back. If you need me, don't call because I won't be answering."

Unfortunately, Shizune couldn't help but laugh at that as Tsunade proceeded to leave the room, her head filled with thoughts of a long-awaited relaxation. "The woman I follow," she muttered fondly.

**VVVVVVVVVVVVV**

"Naruto! You're late! Later than Kakashi-sensei!" shouted Sakura, running up to the blonde as they entered their usual training area. She checked him from head to toe, even pressing her forehead to his. "Are you okay? Why're you so late? That's not like you—is something wrong?"

Naruto remained silent, hands tucked in his pockets as he struggled past his over-worried teammate. That was a side of Sakura that he still didn't find endearing at all—it made him almost wish for the old Sakura, the one that would strike him just for breathing. "Sorry we're late, Kaka-sensei." He lifted his right hand, the one he'd pierced with his nail, and showed them the fresh gauze around it. "I, uh, got into an accident and—"

Kakashi nodded, leaning against one of the three stumps. His visible eye traveled from Naruto to Crowa, froze a second, then swiveled back to his orange book. "I know all about your meeting with the Hokage and what happened to Junkei Renkata. I'm the one who found him first."

Far from the plane of feeling guilty, Naruto smiled with a great sense of accomplishment. "How'd you like our handiwork? Good stuff, huh? I wasn't sure if the knot-work would hold all his fat but—"

"That was you?" gasped Sakura. "You did that to Renkata-san?"

"Renkata-_san_?" repeated Sasuke, affronted. "The hell is up with that honorific? Better off 'shit-san' or 'fat-fuck-san'."

Naruto had opened his mouth to respond when he started laughing, bypassing Crowa who asked a repeat. "Wow...um...the both of us did, actually," said Naruto, throwing an arm around Crowa's neck. "Crowa here took a chunk outta that guy's ear while I came up with the idea of hanging him from the hokage's monument. Why? Did you know him or something?"

He was nearly knocked off his feet when Sakura latched onto him in a crushing hug. "Thank you, Naruto!" She then whirled around to Crowa, taking his face in her hands and placing a quick kiss over his cheek. "And you too, Crowa! That guy used to harass my family all the time—waking us up all times of the night, hitting on my mom, trying to push my father out of work—I almost lost my lid!"

Apparently being kissed meant nothing to him for Crowa shook his head with a sage-like expression. "There are no thanks for a good deed, Sakura-chan."

Bending his page down as a placeholder, Kakashi stowed his book and faced his students. "Crowa," he called. The hybrid faced him, ignoring Sakura completely. "Glad to see you've your headband now. We couldn't go on a mission anyway unless you received one."

"Yes, sensei."

"Did you two write those letters of apology?" he wondered.

"Oh yeah we did," smirked Naruto, tapping Crowa on the shoulder with his knuckles. "Put our heart and soul into 'em, too. Shoot, when ol' bacon-fat reads it he might just up and leave the village!"

For some odd reason, as Kakashi's eye portrayed what might have been a smile, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling that somehow his sensei already knew of Crowa's trick letter.

"When I found him, I actually just let him hang there for a couple more hours, let him yell till his throat was raw. But that's past. Tell me...how did your little visit go last night?"

Kakashi's tone was playfully curious and Naruto met it with a grin, unconsciously rubbing the spot of neck Anko had cut. "Oh, you know...had a lady friend come over and she got a bit feisty over me and Crowa."

"_What?_" Flustered, Sakura's eyes nearly popped out their sockets. "What do you mean you called a lady friend over? I—how does everyone know about this but me? Who'd you call? Where was I?"

Using his sensei's words, Naruto replied, "That's past. Nothing happened, Sakura-chan," he assured her though she continued to eye him dubiously. "Now, what's our mission? I could use a little r&r…."

On the verge of scolding, Sakura only shook her head, leaning it on Naruto's shoulder. "Doofus...only you would consider going out to possibly die as r&r…."

Naruto shrugged her off. "Eh, watch that leanin' crud. And why wouldn't I? Compared to what I'm gonna be doing when I get back...this is like a small vacation."

She understood his words perfectly and a frown touched her lips. "You mean...bringing back Sasuke."

Naruto nodded.

Crowa shook his head.

Sasuke closed his eyes.

Kakashi sighed, reflecting on Obito. How he and Naruto seemed so much alike except for a few differences, like hair...and eyes...and the fact that one was alive and the other dead. No. Not this time. The past would not repeat itself, not if he could help it. "Our mission is B-ranked with the possibility of becoming A-ranked," he declared.

All but Crowa looked stunned. In Moon-X, missions were not given a grade depending on difficulty as even a simple fence-painting charity could turn deadly with the numerous villages out for hybrid blood.

"B-ranked…? Sensei, I—but we're still just genin," started Sakura. "We don't have classification for that...do we?"

"Normally, no, but during the war of leaf and sound, you and Naruto both displayed great dexterity for following orders, tracking the enemy, and even detaining the Suna-nin Gaara. The Hokage recognizes your talent, your skill, and has granted you admission into some B-ranked mission files. This would be the lowest tier of B-ranked missions but it's something," explained Kakashi.

"What about me?" asked Crowa, raising a hand. "Why have I been given such treatment?"

"Because this mission should prove rather easy for someone raised on the blood and tears of Moon-X. It's a find-and capture mission. Our old friend Mizuki has escaped from the Konoha Stockades and somebody needs to bring him back."

Almost before Kakashi could finish, Naruto performed a one-eighty spin and began walking, Crowa on his left, Sasuke on his right. At the mention of Mizuki it felt as though someone had poured liquid ice down Naruto's back, igniting feelings and dredging up horrible memories he'd long since forgotten concerning that silver-haired waste of flesh.

"N-Naruto! Where—where are you going?" Sakura called but the blonde kept walking, hardly on the same plane of listening.

Like a bad trip, he was suddenly younger, on his hands and knees, protected lovingly by Iruka who had a giant shuriken jutting from his back. His eyes began to burn remembering the words Iruka had spoken, words that to this day he held dear: "_He's not a demon anymore. He is...Naruto Uzumaki, ninja of the Hidden Leaf!_"

"Time for old dues to be settled, eh?" wondered Sasuke casually.

His response was a stout growl from deep within Naruto's throat.

Crowa stared, gathering all the information he required from Naruto's sudden spike of chakra: it was angry, static and feral, shooting off in all directions unyieldingly. He could feel nearby animals trembling in fear of a greater threat and taking shelter. "This Mizuki...shall I kill him for you when we catch him?"

Besides the fact that Crowa had spoken, Naruto was astounded at his blunt offer. He smirked. "Sure," he agreed absentmindedly. A cloud of red was beginning to take over Naruto's vision and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "We catch that bastard, you wring his neck."

"Understood."

Naruto glanced over his shoulder, back towards his cellmates, and called, "Same time, same place tomorrow, sensei?"

Taking out his orange book again, Kakashi only lifted a thumbs up.

Sakura watched as her teammates disappeared into the surrounding, wanting desperately to follow, but after feeling Naruto's chakra decided it best to give him some space.

"Wait…I know what I can do." She whirled around to Kakashi and bowed. "See you tomorrow, sensei!" And she took off in another direction.

Left alone, Kakashi knew in the back of his mind that this mission—given who it concerned—was going to give them more problems than even an S-ranked mission merited. When Tsunade handed him the mission statement he thought she'd flipped her lid, gone crazy. She felt it the perfect assignment for their first outing as a full squad; Kakashi felt it a perfect assignment to fail as a full squad.

He'd meant to have a talk with Anko about her late-night visit to his students but hadn't found the time. Now it seemed that meeting would have to wait even longer.

A cooling breeze rolled through the training grounds and he closed his eyes, leaning into it, feeling his worries swept away with the current.

"I wonder...if the newest issue of _Icha Icha_ is out?"

**VVVVVVVVVVVV**

A/N: And thus begins the first arc of Future Plans. Cooool. Stay with me, won't you?


	10. Where The Rabbits Play

Future Plans

A/N: Yarn.

A/N 2: To king: Sorry for the confusion. Sasuke's dead and his spirit is for some reason attached to Naruto.

A/N 3: Even though Rent is the main star from my slew of OC's, Yumi intrigues me the most so I gave her a backstory.

Chapter X: Where The Rabbits Play

**VVVVVVVVVVVV**

…_.Nine Months Ago…._

Blood….

How long's it been since I've seen so much of it? Flowing...rushing from my body as though my flesh had corroded…?

_I hate my life…._

In darkness is where I lay, my battered body thrown to the cold, steel floor. It stung, this frost creeping in from nowhere; I couldn't see anything, nothing but black….

_Was this why I was born?_

"Yumi…."

_No…._

"Yumi, get back on your feet."

_I can't even feel my feet…._

Unconsciously, I got to my hands and knees. Agony roared over every inch of my flesh, I felt like one big bruise. God help me I wanted to pass out but pain kept me grounded firmly in reality. Yes, this was my life...this was the way of my clan….

I could feel blood flowing down my forehead, curving my welted cheek to drip onto the floor. No...ignore it. Vision blurred red, I looked up and beheld the two figures who stood over me. A man and a woman to most, mother and father to me. Being their daughter really didn't amount to much. Hell, being a girl meant jack shit….

I received no compliments for my looks, I was never called 'their baby', my father never swung me around in the air by my armpits laughing while I laughed, my mother never showed me the finer points of taking care of ones hair or nails—they treated me like a creature born for one purpose, and they were damn well drilling the lesson deep into my head….

The climb to my feet was nauseating but I made it and stood with my arms at my side.

_Why...why aren't they hitting me anymore?_

The taller of the two, obviously my father, made a movement and a candle was ignited, bathing the room in its flickering light. This only served to make it more ominous as now I had a clear view of all the gouge marks dug into the steel floor; blood filled the cracks easily. Before, I had been tracking my parents movements through 'sense' alone as the very thought of being done up by the cat clan with their snarky '_oooh, we can see in the dark_' was downright unacceptable.

Just remembering what they put me through so my eyes could pick out densities in darkness made my stomach curl. Even now, I couldn't literally 'see'...only 'feel'. Thank God that was good enough for them….

My father placed the candle on the floor and knelt down before me. Even then his head reached mine. "Today is your birthday." He didn't sound the least bit happy or excited. "Tell me, how old are you?"

That question took me a second to answer as this was the first time my parents had ever mentioned the day of my birth. Just how old was I? Hell if I knew. I didn't know much about the traditions of being born. In fact, I learned of birthday parties through other family members, yet the moment I fixed my lips to even ask for one I lost consciousness for three days and forget the rest.

Somehow, my brain and lips worked in harmony for me: "I'm thirteen, father."

"Correct."

And he stood, the lengthy sky-blue ears atop his head flopping almost comically. I remember the first time I laughed—just, you know, a friendly laugh between father and daughter—and suddenly I was on the ground clutching my bleeding mouth. That was the day learned that laughing led to punishment.

My mother did nothing about it. She didn't do much of anything really. I'd seen some of my aunts who laughed and played with their young like it was completely normal family behavior. Since laughter was taboo, I tried hopping onto her back. That didn't work out so well. Spent the next six weeks healing from a broken arm and a fractured pelvis.

Laughter? No.

Fun? No.

Living? Just barely.

"As is customary of our clan," began my father stringently, "every rabbit that comes of age participates in an _Arcena_ duel with their siblings."

God help me I wanted to laugh when he said 'every rabbit'—I really did—but the consequences to follow weren't worth it.

My clan had the abnormal propensity to reproduce at an alarming rate, just like our lesser evolved kin. Me, I was number seventeen in a little of thirty-two. Naturally, this caused a somewhat overpopulation problem for the entirety of Moon-X.

Then, it happened.

Other stronger clans began slaughtering us in order to thin out our numbers. Despite the treaties signed and agreements reached, every head clan member saw their actions as the quickest and most efficient way to free up more breeding room. Nowadays, after coming to an agreement with the Queen herself, those in my clan—mostly brothers and sisters—were subjected to _Arcena_ duels when they came of age.

The losers died.

The winner kept their life.

It was our clans legalized way of accomplishing two goals: maintain a safe number so as not to incite war and weeding out the strong. I call it euthanizing and wanted no part in it but being born into the main branch of my clan meant I had responsibilities, even more so when my parents chose me to mercilessly train. When I asked why, they told me, "_Because you're not pretty...you're not smart...you can't cook or clean...you can barely read...so that leaves your only outlet, your only redeeming quality, to be combat._"

Now it was my turn to participate….

_How long has it been since I've laughed_…_? Since I've smiled?_

"Get ready." My father's voice was crisp, clear. "In four days time the _Arcena _duel for litter 42 will commence in training ground zeta."

And like shadows, my parents left the room, exiting through a door in the way back still shrouded in the gloom. As soon as I heard the door close with a rumbling _clunk_, feeling left my legs and I crashed back to the ground in a motionless heap. Tear began to slide. I didn't stop them, I couldn't. In less than ninety-six hours I would be fighting a wave of my siblings for the right to live, a right that was given to me naturally when I was born. I shouldn't have to fight to preserve it….

My stomach hurt. My parents had forgotten to feed me. Pft. As if. They hadn't forgotten, they'd never meant too. There was blood splattered all over the floor—_my_ blood—and it filled the room with the strong stench of copper...but it made me thirsty….

While one of the ears atop my head was broken, hanging at an awkward angle, the other worked fine and I dipped the white tip into a deep crevasse of blood. The chilled liquid sent a shiver through my ear that felt something like brain-freeze but I lifted it over my face and let it drip into my mouth. My stomach instantly curdled, more from thought than actual taste, and I would have vomited had I been given food.

_Drinking my own blood because I'm thirsty...God, this is nasty…._

**VVVVVVVVVVVV**

…_.Four Days Later…._

I stood amongst thirty of my siblings, over half of them boys. Thankfully, I wasn't the only one looking queasy or frightened and I joined them in staring around at the crowds of people gathered all around in the coliseum stands. A huge section was devoted to the rabbit clan but I could clearly see some from the lion, wolf, and tiger clans. They were no doubt drawn to the fact that a lot of blood was minutes from being shed.

My left ear was still broken, wrapped in gauze, and hurt like a knife to my brain but all I needed was my right. Just like my siblings I was dressed in ceremonial, genderless white robes. We were all huddled in a shivering group, scare shitless, wanting nothing more than to go home...but home was a privilege reserved only for the winner. Any other rabbit would find home in a never-ending darkness….

As was tradition, the Queen, Nonohime-dono herself was to supersede the 'thinning' process and she sat at what was understood to be the head of the coliseum, seated upon a golden throne with my mother and father position on either side. They sat seiza style, looking out over their frightened children with looks filled with nothing but contempt. Nonohime-dono's right-hand assistant, Kazu, was positioned closest to the railing, ready to signal the start of the duel.

The moment his lips parted, my eyes shot to the boundless sky above. The clouds were a polluted looking gray, casting cold shadows over all underneath. It would rain soon….

"In the name of the Queen," began Kazu loudly, proudly, his voice towering over the roaring of the crowds, "let the 42nd _Thinning of Hares_ commence!"

Before he could even finish speaking, something heavy struck me upside the chin. As I fell, my cheek on fire, I caught glimpses of war breaking out as my scared brothers and sisters began attacking one another with savage brutality. They were scrambling over one another, trading blows honed through rigorous training.

My eyes flared and I slammed a hand to the ground, flipping sideways to my feet. I scanned the area...so much chaos, so much blood spilling; the cheering from the stands was deafening, adding fuel to the bloodbath.

A flash of lightning lit up the coliseum grounds and in that instant one of my sisters came running up to me. Her left eye had been viciously gouged out and her mouth was open in a fierce battle cry, screaming through the blood. I watched her near, surprised that she seemed to be running in slow motion.

She swung, a straight jab forward.

Without any thought I sidestepped, grabbed her by the forearm, put a hand to her elbow, and pushed in as hard as my training allowed. The most grisly noise met my ears when bone cracked and tore through flesh like paper. I watched my sister fall to her knees, screaming at the top of her lungs, clutching a limb that would likely never work right again.

_How did I…?_

And then it clicked, like a light coming on deep within my subconscious. Everything suddenly became so surreal, like all my pores had been forced opened and chakra began leaking out. Mind clouded, I stared down at my wounded sister, drenched from head to toe in scarlet—

_My blood tasted nasty….I wonder…._

The bellowing crowds, Kazu's sickening commentary, my kin's fighting—all that noise faded from me as I lifted a hand, joining my fingers to make a sort of spear. "Bye-bye." I struck her in the back of her neck, a discreet killing blow that my father had tried to use on me countless times. My sharpened nails tore through skin and muscle, severing her spinal column like a twig.

As her body fell over, I lifted those crimson fingers to my lips and took a little lick. My eyes bugged; the flavor nearly blew the top of my head off. This...this sensation...so sugary, yet with a tangy aftertaste that left my tongue lolling out, thirsting for more.

Like I had a crick in my neck, I slowly turned to face the mob of bodies still thrashing about each other. So much fur and blood was flying through the air, so many howls of anguish pierced the crowds cheering. Already the ground was caked in blood and severed limbs, mostly bisected ears and puffy tails.

_My combat sense_, I thought, beginning to run towards the nearest pair of fighting siblings, _has been activated_.

I grabbed one of my brother's arms—his face morphed into shock as he turned, raising his knee. I leaned back, almost parallel to the ground, before snatching him forward, extending my foot into his chest. He coughed blood in my face as I used the momentum to flip him right over me.

On my back now, I watched upside down as he hit the earth with such force his body crumpled in on itself.

That seemed strange. Had he been trained properly? I could survive a fall from twice that height and come out perfectly fine. Why hadn't he? My nose twitched and I rolled sideways as a knife stabbed down right where I'd been—

"Yumi!" It was one of my sisters. How'd she get that knife? It was already stained with blood and she had a deranged look in her eyes. "Don't—don't come near me! This isn't fair, it isn't fair! You got special training from mom and dad! Why? Why only you?"

As rain began to fall, I opened my mouth only to realize I had no answer for her. Why _had_ I received special training? "Because I'm not special." Once again my mouth had come to my rescue. "I can't do anything, unlike you." My sister's name was Tsukani and she excelled where literature was concerned, able to organize and store books with startling proficiency. "The only thing our parents said I could possibly be good at was…fighting."

A brother of mine dropped from the sky like a nuke, roaring proudly as his knees collided with Tsukani's shoulders, taking her down in one motion. They wrestled for only a split second until my brother snatched the knife and ran it across her throat in a flash of scarlet.

"Gurk…." Reaching up for him with a trembling hand, Tsukani gurgled wretchedly before falling still, her arm thudding to the ground.

My brother stood, leering at me with a psychotic smirk. "That makes fifteen, Yumi. Come...be my sixteenth…."

I crouched, spreading my legs a shoulder's length apart. Lifting my arms defensively, I let all the training I'd been taught wash over me, engulf me, _control_ _me_. It all finally made sense...why my parents had never shown me any love, why they had never bothered to teach me anything other than the principles of combat.

They had wanted me to survive. To be the last one standing.

Tears sprang to my eyes to accompany this revelation as my brother rushed towards me. His form was fatally weak, his guard all over the place. To my honed senses, he, like my other siblings, seemed to be moving at a snail's pace, telegraphing his next move like a vocal broadcast.

My parents saw potential in me that they didn't see in my other brothers and sisters; they saw my survivors spirit. Yeah...yeah! Why would they teach me how to be a lady? Why learn to sew? Cook? Read? Have fun? Being a lady wouldn't help me dodge a knife thrust; learning to cook wouldn't save my neck from being cracked. All that horseshit was the very crippling agent killing my siblings now. They weren't bred for combat like me, they hadn't been bathed in the fires of blood and broken bones.

My brother swung up high and I ducked, stepping into his space. Using the back of my left hand I knocked his knife away as he tried a downward slice and with my right, delivered an open-palm strike to his nose, mashing whatever cartilage and bone resided there into a bloody pulp that flowed from both his nostrils.

Howling, he fell over onto his side. I bent down and picked up the knife, running my tongue along the smooth end. My mouth was overrun with more of that deliciously candied red liquid; my knees quivered, heart raced.

"Oh, God...more…." My brother was still alive, curled into a ball as he tried in vain to shovel back in what was spilling out of his nose. I put my foot to his neck and applied pressure, silencing his piteous whining. He looked up at me, his eyes so full of fear, regret, agony—and I offered him a smile, one so wide it nearly reached ear to ear. "You're gonna die," I happily sang, "because our parents loved me most."

And knowing that piece of information would forever corrode his soul, I imbedded the blade deep in his forehead, relishing in the way his face grew slack, how his eyes rolled up.

The look of death was so sweet.

I wanted to see it some more. Lots more! It's what my parents wanted me to do!

It took me a second to realize that Kazu was no longer commentating and that the crowds had gone eerily silent. Senses prickling, I pulled a 180 and saw that the remaining thirteen of my siblings had ceased their fighting and were all facing me. At once I knew what this was and felt myself smiling again.

I could feel my father's words from long ago coming back to me, begging to be repeated: "So, you guys aren't that stupid after all, huh?"

"Talk your shit, Yumi!" barked one of my brothers and, for reasons I didn't comprehend, he too wielded a weapon, a hand-axe. "You think you're the best because they trained you to fight? Big fucking deal—all of us were taught the ways of combat!"

Smiling, I stomped the knife all the way through the corpse of my brother. A trail of blood dribbled over my bottom lip and I eagerly, hungrily slurped it back up. Then...I had an idea. "Alright then...tell you guys what. Thirteen against one ain't fair in the least so here...lemme give you all a handicap!"

_CRACK_

White-hot bursts of pain lit up my vision as my left arm hung limp, snapped at the shoulder. I wanted to simultaneously vomit and laugh: vomit because the agony was nigh unbearable, and laugh because I knew that even with half my hearing gone and only one arm I was still going to tear the rest of my siblings to bloody rinds.

"COME AT ME!" I roared above the clap of thunder.

Behind me, his voice blaring for all to hear, Kazu yelled out, "And it seems like the rest of the Kazama siblings have turned against one of the females"—he paused to whisper something to my father, who whispered back, then continued with—"named Yumi! Why this sudden surge of unity from the other siblings? What has this Yumi done to make herself the black sheep of the thinning? Well, whatever the case, at such a disadvantage we're sure to see her entrails splattered over the ground soon enough!"

….18 Minutes Later….

Ah, the rush! The glory! The bloodshed! The various clans and their cheering meant fuck-all to me as I stood upon a small mound of deceased brothers and sisters. Every single one of them had been torn into no less than three pieces—when viewed from above, the coliseums grounds looked like a painting from the most macabre mind, filled with body parts, squished organs, and gallons of sweetly tasting scarlet liquid.

The adrenaline had yet to leave me yet the agony in my arm was coming back full force. I wavered, but continued to smile. No, no fainting. Not yet, not yet.

With blood caked over my face I looked up towards the stands in time to catch Queen Nonohime standing...and offered her a clown-like smile. She placed a hand over Kazu's shoulder and he instantly bowed, stepping back to allow her front stage.

She cleared her throat, her elegant voice dwarfing even the rain.

"Ladies and gentlemen...it seems as though a winner has been decided! Yumitakuri Kazama from the Kazama branch of the rabbit clan!" Her words were met with great fanfare, especially from the more ravenous clans. "I do hope you placed your bets wisely and enjoyed the show!" She lifted a regal hand, giving a pageant wave. "Until next time!"

The moment she moved away, Kazu reclaimed his spot and bellowed, "As the ritual dictates, accruing enough graveyards for all those lost during a Thinning is next to impossible. So as to cut down time and save space, all those present who are feeling ravenous, feel free to partake of the bountiful helpings offered up generously by the rabbit clan!"

And suddenly there was a mass movement from the audience as everybody began leaping down. As leaders of the other clans, the lion hybrids devoured the largest chunks of my siblings while the lesser carnivorous hybrids stuck to random clumps of fur and flesh. I watched with dimming eyes as various members of my clan—aunts and uncles most—tried to gather up the remains of their loved ones for a proper burial. There was more blood…and more tears…but none of that mattered because six seconds later, as a bolt of lightning lit up the gruesome feeding scene around me, I lost consciousness….

…_.Present Day…._

Panting, Rent eyed his opponent across the grassy plain with a look of confusion mixed with astonishment. _That Yumi...what the hell…?_

He and his other teammates had been ordered by Kazu to spar in the Rust Forest, named such because the grass felt like shards of glass due to the amounts of blood shed over the vast fields.

Ban stood off to the side while Rent and Yumi sparred. They'd been going at it for the better half of six hours and so far neither side showed any signs of slowing down. This confused Rent as he knew in terms of strength, he had Yumi, yet he hadn't expected her endurance to match his so closely.

"Just…what are you, Yumi?" he asked, readying himself for another round.

"A little tank with rabbit ears, I'd guess," said Ban, hunching his shoulders.

Yumi smiled, wiping sweat from her brow. "I am Yumitakuri Kazama from rabbit clan! The most powerful hyrbids in all of Moon-X!" she declared proudly, throwing up the peace sign.

Ban snorted. "Sure, sure, let's not forget whose jungle you reside in, rabbit."

A shudder ran down Rent's spine when Yumi faced Ban with an unnervingly wide smile, the kind she gave to whoever she was seconds from disemboweling. "Then join in, Ban. It's no fun just fighting Rent. I want the satisfaction of tasting your blood when it's mixed with his!"

Looking surprisingly composed despite her claim, Ban pushed up his crudely made glasses and threw his neck side-to-side. "Big mistake, little rabbit."

Sighing, Rent scooted a tad to the left as Ban joined his side, sporting a white-fanged grin. "Ban...please...you know how she is, don't get so riled up."

Talking to the lion hybrid was useless, Rent realized, as Ban's rising chakra levels struck him like a wall of warm water. This only caused Yumi to squeal in delight, bouncing up and down clapping her hands.

Rent closed his eyes and swished his shaggy tail. _Fine. Just this once. _Rent lifted his arms in an X-shape across his chest and focused over half his chakra into a point just behind his chest. It felt cold, unnatural..._hostile_. He hadn't called upon this much chakra since the day he protected Queen Nonohime during that assassination attempt, promising himself he would never go that far ever again. Now though, with Yumi's seemingly endless vigor and Ban's murderous intent crashing into him, why not show off for a minute or two?

_Mold it...shape it...control it….Breathe, Rent…._

Rent's clothing began to ruffle and he opened his eyes, not surprised to find that his teammates had gone through similar motions. All three of them stood straight, their combined chakra pressure blowing the grass around them in every directions, colliding forcefully in the air like sonic booms.

Rent side-glanced Ban. "We don't kill her. Agreed?"

"I agree to nothing." The ears atop Ban's head fell back, a tell-all sign he wasn't going to pull his punches. "Sparring has no set rules other than victory, you flower-picker."

Yumi giggled. "Two big boys against one little girl ain't really fair now is it? I mean, really, looks like you guys need a little handicap!"

Rent twitched, his finely honed chakra disrupted only slightly when Yumi grasped her left arm with enough strength to crack her humerus. The pain that any normal human or hybrid would have felt from that seemed null against Yumi still sported her maniacal smile, with an added chortle.

"Well, alright then," said Rent, unfazed.

Ban sucked his teeth. "Don't think we're going to go easy on you because of that, crazy ass."

The chortle morphed into a disturbed giggle. "Oh, trust me, Ban honey, I'm about to show just how crazy I am."

**VVVVVVVVVVVV**

A/N 4: Hope you all enjoyed that. Lemme know what you think. Side note: Ip Man kicks ass and MLP ain't as bap as I thought it was.


	11. Snake Eyes and Setting Off

Future Plans

A/N 1: It seems a lot of people are confused over Chapter 3. At first I was like 'sucks', but now I'm thinking it's my fault for not conveying it properly. Chapter 3 laid the groundwork for Moon-X and it's characters. That's all. It's not a wrongly uploaded chapter to another story or something like that. I just felt like getting all of it outta the way in one shot. My bad for not explaining, just didn't think I'd have to.

A/N 2: On a side-note, the last chapter was _totally_ filler, something to put out while I looked over this chapter one more time.

Chapter XI: Snake Eyes and Setting Off

**VVVVVVVVVVVV**

I didn't know what to think.

Hell, I barely knew what to _do_.

My ear pricked and I glanced back, looking at the door that led into that blonde-haired idiot's apartment. I could hear the sounds of yawning, of stretching coming from the other side and scoffed. About time those lazy bastards woke up.

Me? I'd been up ever since coming back from the Hokage's office, pacing back and forth like a mechanical doll, my head still trying to wrap itself around the puzzling notion that Anko knew about this.

About _me_.

It seemed a bit overkill for the Hokage to have that crazy snake bitch come try to kill us so why…? Just because she and Orochimaru shared a past?

No.

It was more than that…_way_ more.

In all honesty, I wanted to march right over to her living quarters—wherever the hell that was—and force some answers out of her. But that would be foolish. Fatally foolish even. I cursed and simultaneously congratulated myself. In the past, my Uchiha blood would have never let me admit there was an adversary I could not beat—but now, after sacrificing myself and spending so much time with Naruto 'bleeding emotions' Uzumaki, I had grown a strange yet welcoming sense of humility.

It was the only thing keeping me rooted where I was, leaned over the railing and staring listlessly as the sun rose to power.

Deep down I knew. I knew if I went around her demanding things without sufficient force to back up my wants, or without the right amount of bribery, she'd fillet my spiritual ass.

In a momentary lapse of common sense, I wondered how a meeting would go if I offered her dango? Maybe she'd be more willing to participate and then Naruto could act as my mouthpiece. No, wait…maybe she could _already_ see me?

Fuck my life.

Nothing made sense anymore….

Now I could hear the unmistakable sounds of arguing—something, something, Naruto upset over clothing, more blabber, then Crowa suggesting this, more blah, blah, blah, then finally their laughter as an agreement was reached.

Reluctantly, I pushed all previous forethought of Anko, of being a spirit from my mind. Today would mark our cells first mission since I went K.I.A. Out there in the real world none of this shit mattered—only the mission should be the main concern. Only surviving.

I guess me and my petty problems would come later.

**VVVVVVVVVV**

Nestled deep within the darkest recesses of the Forbidden Forest was where a certain Tokubetsu Jonin had decided to build her home. At first, the option of having a house in such a dangerous geographical area was denied—then quickly overturned when the council figured it would be a great way to get her out of their hair, hoping to God above that one day a carnivorous beast would happen her way.

Anko knew the sole reason behind granting her permission for living space out here. She knew they wanted her to die. And she was okay with that. None of them had enough balls to actually come out and say such a thing so she felt not need to take them seriously in any matter.

Personally, she chose such an area because it provided solidarity and much needed peace of mind, something she was rarely able to achieve when living in the village proper. All the constant noise, all the constant stares…all the constant threats….

She remembered the day when those spineless villagers had set her house on fire.

With she still slept within.

Perhaps it was just her feral attitude—maybe that was the reason so many despised her…or, most likely, maybe it was due to the fact that she once abandoned the village.

Yeah, we'd go with that.

The day her house burned down was the first time in nearly a decade when she'd lost her mind. It wasn't so much the amount of irreplaceably burnt possessions that had upset her and fueled her with so much rage that she went on a rampage throughout the entire village.

No.

It was the fact that only hours earlier, she had just went on a shopping spree, which meant, of course, filling up her refrigerator with dango. Well, the refrigerator, the cabinets, the cupboard—even that secret little compartment in her nightstand.

The loss was too great. It broke her mind. To this day, she still smiled at the fact that it took twelve Jonin—Kakashi included—to calm her down.

Killing her was out of the question, regardless of the fact that it was nigh impossible to do anyway, but also because of her undeniable strength.

"Which reminds me," she sighed, stepping out of shower, "I still need to get Kakashi back for groping me…." She remembered quite well how the silver-haired jonin's hands roamed expertly over her body under the guise of trying to restrain her. Maybe it was a previously discussed strategy, or maybe he'd done it because he felt like it, but either way her capture was credited to that copy-nin finding her _tender_ spot thus rendering her paralyzed for a split second.

And ninja's only _needed_ a split second.

Using the back of her hand, she rubbed away the mist that had formed over her bathroom mirror. She smirked at the woman smirking back at her and let the towel drop. The body that met her eyes was one of undeniable beauty: perfectly toned ivory skin that shone like marble; her thin waist might make one think she cared about what she ate…but she didn't, not at all, yet it flowed alluringly down into her noticeable hips, then into a pair of flawless legs.

_The body of goddess_, she thought, pleased as she began to run a comb through her locks of lavender hair.

She didn't flinch when a relatively small chakra signature sparked to life behind her. The combing continued as she peeked into the reflection, her eyes meeting the slanted pupils of a miniature garden snake; it was positioned in the bathroom door, raised halfway up on its scaly green body.

"Ah. News, Hebitano?"

The snake nodded its head and, oddly enough, began hissing.

To any _normal_ person, this might have seemed strange, but Anko hadn't chosen the Forbidden Forest just to get away from the villagers. Somewhere between being trained by Orochimaru and being subsequently abandoned by him, she had picked up his strange fetish for experimentations. Granted, it wasn't to his maniacal extent—namely using humans as tests for trail and error—because hers focused on the connectivity between snakes and chakra.

Case in point, Hebitano, her chakra made manifest in a snake form. Took her months to come up with the proper formula, and years to actually get it to work right. There were many times when she was left drained of energy, near death, stuck within this hellish landscape filled with monstrosities with no way to signal for help.

How she had survived for so long was anyone's guess. _Her_ guess was she didn't care.

The ramifications behind Hebitano's origin lay in countless bundles of paper and research scattered all throughout her home. Looking back, she felt proud, proud that she had acquired at least _something_ after being used and tossed aside like a condom. The vast information that bastard had opened her up to, all the hidden social networks that she now knew—hell, she could probably rival the toad sannin in gathering intelligence now.

_I'm still going to kill you, sensei_.

Pushing those more sinister thoughts from her head she turned and dropped to her knees in front of the snake as it continued to hiss:

"_The two genin you wanted me to watch, Naruto Uzumaki and Moon-X child Crowa, they're about to leave the village._"

Anko's heart skipped a beat. "Leaving…the village? _Now_?"

Hebitano, being a part of Anko, could feel her rapidly rising anxiety levels and quickly added, "Not for that reason, mistress. They're being sent on a B-ranked mission to retrieve the escapee Mizuki."

Inhaling deeply to calm herself, Anko sighed, letting her shoulders drop. She stared long and hard at Hebitaro, a multitude of strange emotions rolling through her chest. She'd told Naruto she never wanted to see him again if he kept up his suicidal 'revival' plan…yet the thought of him leaving the village felt like a punch to gut.

That little brat was impulsive—so was she, but she at least had good sense when to set it aside when her life could be in danger.

She racked her brain for any information on Mizuki, remembering that sneaky bastard well for the trouble he'd caused. On CQC terms he was perhaps two, three notches below Kakashi; concerning ninjutsu skill, well, that was blank as she'd never paid him enough attention to find out what styles he utilized. Considering he had reached Chunin rank then summarily denied himself advancement, maybe he had latent abilities…?

_Latent abilities_, she thought, growing tired of kneeling naked on the floor. Standing, she wrapped herself in the towel once more and proceeded into her bedroom, a moderately sized room where the floor was completely buried under several pages of notes, drafts, files, and manila envelopes. Like snow, she trudged through, making it to her bed where she took a seat on the edge, crossing her legs.

"Latent abilities have the power to escalate a simple B-ranked mission into a class SS."

She watched as Hebitaro slithered atop all the mess, still marveling at the pinnacle of all her hard work. He was different than regular summons, possessed different skills and abilities. "And it's looks like now is a perfect time to try one of them out," she concluded with a little clap.

A twisted smile quirked her lips.

"This is going to be a _very_ interesting mission indeed."

**VVVVVVVVVV**

Naruto, Crowa, Sasuke, and Kakashi stood at their training grounds. All four of them had been waiting there for the past four hours, Naruto, Sasuke and Crowa showing up three hours ago while Kakashi had arrived just a few minutes ago.

Oddly enough, Kakashi noticed that Naruto hadn't accused him of being late nor a liar when he retold a story of helping a window cleaner on his way over—Crowa, well, he hadn't expected the hybrid to know of his legendary tardiness.

No, that was perhaps the _least_ of what Kakashi thought was 'odd'.

"Felt a need to update the wardrobe, huh?" he asked casually, surveying his two visible students. He could feel a certain…_pressure _to the right of Naruto and figured it had to Sasuke. Best to ignore that for now.

Like it didn't matter, Naruto hunched his shoulders. He had indeed changed his clothes. Gone was the orange jacket. He only wore the blue shirt underneath, the necklace Tsunade had given him clearly visible around his neck. And gone were the orange leggings, replaced by a baggy pair of pants colored a deep iris; to help keep them up he'd tied an assortment of crisscrossing red belts to his legs; a kunai holder had been tied to his right thigh. His hair had been pulled back into a small ponytail while a few renegade strands hang in his whiskered face. On his hands were a pair of fingerless gloves in the same fashion as Kakashi.

"I died when Sasuke died…so it's only fitting I dress this body in something different," was the answer.

Kakashi nodded. That was acceptable. He looked at Crowa, noticing how the hybrid abandoned a shirt altogether and only wore a black vest over his torso, which matched the black ankle-high shorts, a kunai holder strapped to his left thigh. A scarlet-colored headscarf had covered his fiery orange hair, with wild tufts shooting from underneath and his ears poking through holes cut into the top.

"And you…?"

"My previous clothes restricted movement," replied the hybrid. "Not mention my hair was all over. That could get me killed out in the field."

Kakashi stared. Yeah, that much was true, with is way he kept his styled up and to the back. It's one thing to die fighting bravely and another to be done in because your hair caught a case of the dumb.

"How much longer are we gonna have to wait for Sakura?" asked Naruto, voicing his annoyance for the first time. He was ready to go, ready to find that rat bastard and bring him in. "I mean, shit, I can understand _you_ being late but she's usually so punctual—"

"Wait—wait, I'm _here_!"

Naruto, Sasuke, and Crowa glanced over their shoulders, each with their eyes widening at the sight of their kunoichi emerging through the trees.

It was evidently clear that all three members of cell 7 had come to some sort of unspoken yet unanimous conclusion, the same life-altering decision.

Sakura had completely foregone her infamous pink dress with the biker shorts underneath. Bandages covered her chest, an idea taken from the few samurai that existed in other lands, while her mid-section remained bare. Instead of biker shorts, she wore a pair of dull pink hakama bottoms that tilted sideways off her hips revealing the line of her underwear. Was that on purpose? Kakashi couldn't figure it out. Her hair remained the same yet it was her eyes, those deep pools of green that had changed, had _hardened_. She still wore zori and, shockingly, her nails were bare, untouched by any kind of paint. But perhaps the most shocking was the anbu-like sword that she had tied to her hip. Kakashi knew it wasn't a _real_ anbu sword—she'd have been apprehended just for _touching_ one—it was more the fact that she carried it. Why? She had no practice in the art of swordplay so…?

"Sorry, sorry—just had to make a little stop at Tenten's house," she informed, taking her place in line on Crowa's other side. She looked down the line of her teammates, bypassing their ogling eyes and dropped jaws. "So…are we ready?"

_I can see her panties,_ thought Sasuke with more lechery than he knew he possessed.

_Join the club_, Naruto thought back.

Now Kakashi had to wonder if this mission would remain a B-ranked or deteriorate into a D-rank? Each one of his charges had changed into totally different personas, literally overnight. Looking at them, Kakashi felt a certain piece of himself swell with pride. So young…yet so _ready_. He didn't even feel it proper to be reading his book and promptly put it away.

"Alright. Questions. Naruto, why the belts?"

"To keep my pants up. _Duh_. They're made from a special fabric I found at the valley of the end, after my fight with Sasuke. It's spun by a special bug yet weighs more than forty kilograms*." And despite the weight, Naruto easily lifted a leg into the air, rotating it twice, before standing straight. "If you're worried I'll be a detriment because of it, don't be. I've been practicing with these for the past sixty days."

The look of awe that showed itself in Kakashi's eye was not spread to Crowa nor Sakura. It made the copy-nin wonder…did they already know of this?

Sakura was clapping. "Yeah! I was beginning to think you'd given up on those!"

Naruto allowed himself a modest smirk. "Like hell. Train, train, train, that's all I did." He looked to his sensei. "Does that answer all your questions, Kaka-sensei?"

"All except one," and Kakashi turned to Sakura. At first, when he opened his mouth, he had an idea of what he wanted to say—of the words of caution he wanted to convey to her—but when it came time to speak…the words failed him as he once again stared into her eyes.

Nothing but determination and resolve stared back.

He smiled. "Never mind."

Naruto grinned. "That's what we thought. Let's get going, okay? Mizuki's got an ass that's just waitin' for my foot."

**VVVVVVVVVVV**

Cell 7 stood less than fifty meters from the village gates when a sudden shout caused them all to look back. There was a well-known purple-haired kunoichi running towards them in usual attire, slowing to walk as she neared, then finally stopping in front of Naruto, hands playfully behind her back.

Naruto instantly dropped into a fighting stance, legs crouched, one fist out with the other pulled back. The last words she had spoken to him were still very fresh in his mind so words were wasted.

He knew what she wanted to do but he wouldn't beg, he wouldn't make offers, and he damn sure wouldn't go down without a fight.

Anko smiled, pushing as much sincerity and kindness as humanly possible into it. "Is this any way to greet the person who just baked you the most _delicious_ piece of apple pie?"

And not only was Naruto stunned, but everyone behind him when Anko brought her arms around, showing them the slice of smoking pastry.

"I wouldn't eat that if I were you," came Crowa. His face was indifferent as he stared at Anko who continued to smile. "Regardless of the fact that she tried to kill us less than forty-eight hours ago, she's probably put poison in it. That's what anyone with a brain would assume."

"I agree," said Sasuke.

Sakura's eyes bugged. "_What_? She—you tried to _kill_ them?"

Anko turned to Sakura, eyeing her up and down. "Your claim is too meager. Had I _tried_ to kill them they wouldn't be here right now. I tried to _dissuade_ them. Nice change of clothes, by the way. I was getting pretty sick of that ugly dress."

"I didn't change for _your_ approval!" yelled Sakura hotly.

"You should have, mine's the only one that matters," laughed the special jonin. She turned back to Naruto, extending the plate towards him. "C'mon, kitty, you _know_ you want it," she almost purred. "It's even got a little piece of me inside of it to make it _extra_ special."

Now Crowa stepped up to Naruto's side. "That could mean so many things. Which did you bake into that cake, lady Snake: fingernails, toenails, hair, or bodily fluids?"

"So suspicious," giggled Anko. She was practically bouncing on her heels. "I mean, would I _really_ stoop so low as to piss in the food of someone who disagreed with me?"

In unison, Naruto, Sasuke, Crowa, Sakura, and Kakashi all echoed, "Yes."

Anko thought for a second, then laughed. "You're right, I would. Not this time though. This time, I only want to wish you good luck on your mission." Her eyes grew soft; it confused Naruto. "I know what Mizuki tricked you into doing, Naruto, all the pain he caused….I know this is going to be more of a _personal_ vendetta than an actual mission so to help…I want to keep you _full_. Our differences aside, it's what we do…as fellow ninja of leaf."

Relaxing his stance, Naruto nodded, took the pie, and—"Naruto! DON'T!"—downed it in one bite, licking the flakes from his lips as he stared her full in the face.

"Somewhere in your little speech there is a pack of lies, but I can't pinpoint where." Naruto smirked. "One thing you ain't lyin' about is this pie. Friggin' tasty."

Anko smiled so wide that her eyes closed. "So glad you enjoyed it, kitty."

Figuring kitty was a nickname, Naruto accepted it and, ignoring Sakura who was fussing, turned to lead his squad through the gates.

"Are you, like…_okay_?" asked Sasuke, staring at the blonde like he might suddenly collapse.

"Yeah, feel good," answered Naruto staring over his shoulder at Anko who remained where she was waving. "Hey, Anko, you should know that if you _are_ trying to kill me, going through my stomach is likely to fail as I can digest almost any kind of poison no matter how strong." He flicked her a thumbs up. "Just a little heads up."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. Come back safe now, all of you."

Eyeing her wearily, Kakashi nodded. "We'll make sure we do."

Continuing to wave even after the cell had vanished from sight, Anko slowly lowered her arm, her friendly smile turning sinister. Of course she knew there was no point to poisoning Naruto—the fox within him could easily nullify such trickery. No, what she'd done was something a bit more intricate, literally placing a little piece of _herself_ within him.

"Let's see how well this turns out, shall we? Stay strong, Naruto…because I'm about to put you through the ringer. Call a sort of…_initiation_, if you will."

Giggling madly, she spun on her heels and began the long trek back to her home, her head filled with nothing but thoughts of sweet dango.

**VVVVVVVVVVVVV**

*40 kg= 88.2 pounds rounded

A/N 3: I recently read a fanfic called My Little Dashie. Honestly, I've never read another fic that's come close to making me feel like that one has—and I've read a_ lot_ of fics. I actually cried, had tears running down my face so hard I got a headache. It was the first time I'd cried reading something so here's my congratulations. Fucking awesome. Takes a lot to make me bawl like a little bitch but, well, there it is. Ha.


	12. A Little Piece of Me and Propositions

Future Plans

A/N: Thank you for the reviews thus far, you guys. Really means a lot, really keeps the ideas a' comin'.

Chapter XII: A Little Piece Of Me and Propositions

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Why're you shivering?"

"'Cause it's fucking cold."

"Oh…."

"Dude, seriously….Just 'cause I'm freezin' my balls off doesn't mean you gotta feel _that_ too. Be glad you're _immune_ to such things like weather."

Someone sighed. "My breath doesn't even fog up…."

Naruto would have entertained the Uchiha farther into the discussion but other matters required his attention. He turned back towards the ever-stretching forest, eyes flared against the darkness that had claimed the day. While the fox still fought with him relentlessly over control of his body, the last two months had not gone by without him gaining something from his war-drenched comrade.

The blue of his eyes were illuminated pools of fire, able to see a good distance into the gloom surrounding them. He could have taken more of the fox's chakra but, bypassing his initial distrust, being too greedy tended to widen the hole needed for that bastard to crawl through.

_**Just let go, little one. One time and I'll not ask for another….**_

That so well known voice of dread lurched up from Naruto's subconscious. He frowned, going to speak when Sasuke beat him to it.

"Keep your mangy ass where it is, stupid fox," he ground out, causing Naruto's eyes to widen even further.

"Oh shit, I totally forgot you could hear him too…."

Sasuke nodded as the voice once again spoke. _**Uchiha…I have long since wondered why you associate yourself with the vessel of the very creature who slaughtered your clan members. Do you not wish to kill the little one?**_

For a moment, Sasuke and Naruto looked up into each other's eyes—then chuckled with matching brotherly grins.

"What a weak ass attempt," muttered Naruto shaking his head.

"And this coming from one of most fiercest biju around." Sasuke scoffed. "Sounds like you've been domesticated down to mere snippets and yelping."

The voice within Naruto's mindscape only offered up a bone-chilling laugh, one that wiped clear both genin's faces until Sasuke was staring at Naruto and Naruto was staring down at his chest.

_**Laugh. It fuels the empty, the afraid. But know this. Should you continue to pursue this path of bringing back the Uchiha…your body will be strained, little one. And when your mentality falters for even one second…I will turn your body into a mangled husk and be born again.**_

And the presence faded before either Naruto or Sasuke could respond.

"Well…I think we were just expertly shut down," yawned Sasuke, a semi-transparent hand to his mouth.

"Sasuke…go to sleep. It's _my_ watch. Get some rest before you lose yourself, man—I can feel something within you, something heavy. The fact that you haven't mentioned it means I don't have the right to ask about it…but when you wanna, y'know…_talk_, I'm here, bud."

Had Sasuke been his old arrogant self that remark would have gotten a snort and a "yeah, right", but he was a changed ninja and grimaced, feeling as if he'd been struck in the gut.

"Y-yeah…thanks…."

And Naruto watched the spirit go, back towards their camouflaged tent that held the rest of teammates, all of them probably asleep.

Naruto chuckled to himself, leaning back against the cold tree next to him. Who was he kidding? He could feel their chakra signatures from here and every single one of them was taught, awake and heightened. If he even _twitched_ a muscle to signify an enemy presence they'd be out in a flash, kunai at the ready.

_But luckily…that's not the case_, thought Naruto and he returned his gaze to the darkness. He stood on a tree branch ten meters above ground, just high enough for an undisturbed view at all angles.

"You've been standing watch for over _three_ hours—isn't it somebody else's turn yet?"

The voice that echoed next to Naruto would have sent him toppling to the ground if he hadn't already heard it…_countless fucking times_. He half-glanced at Anko, knelt down at his side.

"The fuck…do you…_want_?" he yelled as softly as he could, hissing it through his teeth.

"Oh to poke fun at you." She stared him up and down, licking her lips. "I still can't get over your change of clothes. I guess it's true what they say: the suit _does_ make the man."

"It's not a suit."

"Same principles. You have _got_ to leave your hair in that ponytail—it's so cute!"

Naruto sighed, trying his damnedest to stay focused. He and the rest of his cell had been trekking for the better half of their departure day, making good time through the trees en route to a small porting village. It was presumed in the mission statement that Mizuki was trying to flee to Whirlpool country. Why? It was their job to stop him and find out.

"Yes…that does seem quite strange doesn't it? Mizuki…escaping to Whirlpool country," mused Anko, looking quizzical. "What're your thoughts, kitten?"

"My thoughts are how're you doing this?" His question was met with a coy smile and Naruto folded his arms to the cold.

About three hours into his journey, Naruto began seeing this…this _illusion_ of the purple-haired kunoichi. It had to be an illusion because when the others asked why he was yelling and freaking out he tried explaining it to them only to find out that they couldn't see or hear what he did—not even Sasuke.

_Fuck my mind_, he thought bitterly and the Anko illusion giggled.

Even though Naruto was a tad bit smarter than he was a couple months ago, it didn't take a lot of brain power to find the cause behind her appearance.

"That damn piece of pie," he uttered and Anko gave a congratulatory clap as she had when he first figured it out. He glared at her. "I passed that shit _hours_ ago! It's not even in my system anymore—go the hell away!"

"You may have passed the food, but not _me_, kitten."

"Quit calling me that!"

She was standing in a flash, and Naruto noticed that her weight didn't affect the branch at all. The thought was instantly knocked from his mind when he felt something sharp prod him almost painfully on his inner thigh. He glanced down, one eyebrow cocked, then back up.

"Whoa, whoa, wait—I thought you were an illusion? How—you can't touch me!"

Her eyes seemed to glow with a menacing sparkle; her face split in a grin. "I can't...?" she wondered and Naruto had to stifle a yell when he felt the tip of kunai pierce skin. "Then…what am I doing now, kitten?"

The wound was no problem. The fox would take care of it. A bead of sweat ran down the side of Naruto's face yet he forced his beating heart to slow. "What…do you want?"

"I just want to see how you handle this mission."

"Liar." His eye twitched when she jabbed him again, this time lifting the weapon up to the moonlight; it sparkled with his blood. "_Do that again and_—" he started in a snarl, beginning to rise up.

She instantly pushed herself into him, slamming him back into the tree. "You'll do what?" she prompted throatily. "I'm an illusion. Remember?"

Her words clashed incessantly with Naruto's mind. She had her body to him—he could feel her heat, smell the scent of her candied breath as she leaned down until they were face to face. He could almost_ taste _her lust. Christ this woman…this woman was more animal than anything….

"What can you do to me?" she whispered. "I'd _love_ to know…."

_Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck._ Naruto repeated the word over and over in his head, feeling the lower half of his body begin to throb relentlessly. Without warning, pushed on nothing but instinct, he jerked his head forward and nipped forcefully at her exposed neck. He'd expected to bite nothing, just air, but when flesh met his fangs his eyes widened.

That stiffness from earlier only intensified when Anko released a soft _oooh_ of pleasure. He stared, not knowing what to say, his lips floundering idiotically.

"I…I…but—you can't be an illusion," he stuttered. "I can feel you, smell you—"

"_Taste_ me?" Anko smiled, standing. "I guess that's up for your mind to decide, isn't it, kitten? I'm merely here as a helping hand to your mission. I'd feel it an injustice to have you die by anyone else's hand other than my own." She stowed her kunai and winked; Naruto throbbed again. "Should you pass this test…it may prove have some mettle after all. It won't be enough…but it'd be a start."

Naruto was confused. With all the blood gone from his brain, understanding riddles was a terrible chore. "Wh-what?"

"Succeed in this mission, and I may take you up on the offer you've yet to tell me. Fail…and your journey for the Uchiha's life will be a very bleak and short one."

Swallowing, Naruto clenched his hands. He understood _that_ just fine. She had to be an illusion then…because there was no way she could read minds—she wasn't a Yamanaka, she possessed no mind-probing jutsu's—and he damn sure hadn't told anybody about his plans yet….

Wordlessly, he nodded. "Right…."

"Good. Now, one last thing. _Watch out_."

Anko's form faded like the morning mist and Naruto saw something glint in her shadow. Unconsciously, he inched his body to the right and yelled in pain when a kunai struck him in the shoulder.

"Shit!"

He lost his balance and toppled out of the tree, causing an unholy symphony of noise on his way down.

_Damn it, Anko…you did that on purpose._

He pulled out his fall and landed gracefully on his feet. Before he could even stand up straight, Crowa, Sakura, Kakashi, and Sasuke were behind them.

"Naruto!" called Sakura, one hand gripping her tanto. "Are you okay?"

With a grunt, Naruto wrenched the kunai from his shoulder and twirled it twice before snapping his fingers around it. The pain grounded him, cooled his anger. "_I'm_ fine. But whoever threw this sure won't be."

Unbeknownst to everyone except Naruto, as shadowy figures began to shuffle ahead of them, Crowa's chakra began to spike. He grinned, the act more beastly than human.

"_Time to have some fun_."


	13. Techniques and Insanity

Future Plans

A/N: All previous chapters (especially the godawful atrocities that were 1 through 5) have all been edited. Why? 'Cause not even _I_ would've read those things.

Chapter XIII: Techniques and Insanity

**XXX**

Naruto was running, streaking through the darkened forest without a shred of direction or knowledge as to where he was going. He just ran, dipping in and around trees as kunai and shuriken thudded behind him, some buzzing just over his head, others clipping him on the cheek.

"_Fuck!_"

He couldn't help screaming out in frustration as he suddenly took flight, arms outstretching out towards a low-hanging branch. He grasped it, swung like a monkey, and pole-vaulted high into the air where he hovered for a split second; his eyes swept the area—there were so many explosions going off, so much smoke—

"_Where are they_?" His head whipped every which way, scanning the forest masterfully. "Where are they, where are they, where are—"

A rope snapped closed around his leg, the end tied to a rock that instantly snatched him from the sky. There was no time to brace for shit as the earth lurched up to meet him and he smashed through foliage and branches before colliding with the ground.

White sparkles of light exploded in front of his vision; he'd damn near bit his tongue off but he ignored the pain and quickly flipped over, pulling out a kunai. In a flash of silver he was free, scrambling to his feet and taking off in a new direction.

Sweat laced his brow and he wiped it away, throwing his hands together to form a sign. "_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

Into the darkness exploded three more Naruto's, each one resembling the original in the way of marks and bruises.

"What the hell did you drag us into?" yelled the one on his left as he ran sideways, bouncing from tree to tree.

Naruto ignored him and pointed east—"You! Go that way!"—he pointed to the west—"You! That way!"—and finally, he jerked a thumb over his shoulder—"And you! Get back there and buy some damn time! _Go_!"

On his command, every clone dove away in a streak of blonde, each going to perform their duty. Naruto kept running, his trained eyes zipping left as a silvery glow came dashing up to meet him.

"Sakura's out in front!" Sasuke shouted, his legs working in a sprint yet his feet never touched the ground. "She's less than forty meters ahead!"

Sporting a fatigued grin, Naruto flipped a thumbs up as his friend vanished once more, leaving to go find the others.

_How did it come to this? Just how many others did that prick break out?_

Those were questions ramming into Naruto's aching mind. His shoulder wound pained him but the thought of losing another one of his teammates struck him cold. All he remembered was talking to Anko—blast that bitch's hide—then taking a kunai to the shoulder, falling, and then…what he had previously thought was three, maybe four ninja turned out to be a small contingent, each of them under the employment of the shinobi they'd been sent to capture.

_Mizuki…when I get my effing hands on you—_

A tingle of dread ran down his spine when chakra returned to him, chakra from the decoy clone.

_Well, damn, that didn't take long_.

How were they supposed to know that three of the ninja would suddenly rush forward, their bodies wrapped head to foot in explosive tags? The blast knocked them all over the place and Naruto's been running every since, his killers hurling what seemed like a never-ending supply of weaponry at his back.

_Okay…this should be far enough_.

He came to a complete stop and spun on his heels to face the nine or so ninja bursting through the darkness; each of them wore the grimy, dirt-spattered rags that signaled their imprisonment and wielded an assortment of glittering weaponry from kunai to sickles.

They slowed to a halt before him, some displaying confusion over why he had stopped, others with their tongue lolling out, thirsting for blood.

"Why's the little rabbit quit running?" barked one of the larger criminals and he lifted a giant axe, its crimson colored blade catching the moonlight. "Run! Go on, _run_! Make it interesting for us! It's too soon for you to give up now!"

Spreading his chakra as far as he dared, Naruto swept the area for any signs of recognizable energy, sensing none of his teammates, his sensei, nor that illusion of Anko. He was completely on his own.

Good.

"I'm not giving up. I just wanted to have a little privacy—best not to let the other see just how far I've come…at least, not right now."

Naruto dropped down to one knee, slamming his hand to the earth. How long had it been since he'd tried this move? A week? Two weeks tops? It brought back fond memories of failure, of all the times he would screw up the process and be left with a body that refused to do anything except breathe. It was something he'd taken up ever since having Jiraiya train him, yet until Sasuke's death he'd never given it any serious time, or any thought for that matter.

While the inmates laughed at his words, Naruto sighed, forcing himself into a lax state of meditation; he took hold of his chakra and _bent_ it, ignoring the physical pain that lashed out at his weakened body. A trail of blood flowed from his nose as he brought forth more and more capsizing amounts of chakra, forcing it up into his chest, then down his right arm-

When Naruto spoke, his voice cracked with strain. "Y-you guys...are in for a rare treat. This is only the s-second time I've done this. Feel _honored_."

Apparently, to the large, axe-wielding inmate, this had gone on long enough for he stomped the ground with a foot possibly longer than Naruto's forearm and bellowed, "_KILL HIM_!"

As the ground rumbled with the sound of pounding footfalls, Naruto took all the chakra he'd built up and blasted it through his palm with all the force of a gunshot-

"I am Naruto Uzumaki," he whispered and his voice seemed to float over all the noise as he slowly climbed to his feet. "A ninja, a prankster, and now..._your executioner_."

He lifted his right hand: in the middle of his palm sat a quickly revolving emerald green sphere, one that spun with such force everything in the area began to rustle and sway in the suction. Naruto sported an accomplished grin despite the pool of blood gathering in his hand; it spilled over his fingers and flowed like a river down his wrist. He knew that the sheer ferocity of this technique was too much for his young body to handle—it was literally shredding his flesh to grisly rinds—but when had that ever stopped him?

"So what if I become crippled, unable to use this hand?" he yelled, running towards the large inmate; he dropped to both knees, ducking his head as he felt that axe whiz by severing several blonde hairs—"WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER!"

As if on a spring, Naruto leapt up, screaming to fuel himself as he rammed the emerald sphere into the mans stomach—

"_CHIKYU RASENGAN!_"

**XXX**

As a yell pierced the night air, Sakura's head snapped up, her eyes narrowing. She knew that yell.

"Sound like he's having fun."

"_You little bi—_"

Smirking, Sakura sidestepped a wide swing from her attacker and slashed up with her tanto. An agonized scream drowned out Naruto's voice and Sakura watched with emotionless eyes as the man collapsed to his knees, desperately clutching the bloody stump where his hand used to be.

"Ooooh, can I give you a _hand_?" A laugh that held no such humor rumbled up from Sakura's throat as she spotted the mans severed limb on the ground at her feet. She speared it with her tanto, lifted it up, and dragged her tongue over the chilled flesh, acquiring a salty, grimy flavor that tickled her taste buds in a way she didn't think possible.

"_Mmmm_…."

She gazed out at the numerous bodies littered about the forest floor. They had once been men, men who saw a cute, half-dressed girl and figured this would be an easy kill, a quick way to gain favor with their leader. Sakura knew. She knew what they were thinking and eagerly played the part of a damsel in distress until she had them right where she wanted.

Bathing in the mans pitched screams, Sakura became lost in the act of licking her latest treasure, her moist tongue tracing little circles on the back. "That maaaakes...eighty now," she whispered delicately to the hand as though it could hear.

"Aaaaah...y-you're crazy!" the man screeched, falling back, kicking out his legs in a mad attempt at distancing himself.

Sakura giggled, peeling his hand from her blade. "Oh, come now. I'm not crazy," she assured, following him with a slight bounce to her step. "I'm...lonely. Won't you play with me?"

The man screamed with fresh agony when Sakura knelt down next to him, driving her tanto into his shin; it tore through whatever bone resided there and pinned him to the ground.

"Quiet," she ordered, jiggling the blade.

The man slapped his only hand to his mouth to muffle himself.

"Goooood, now...do you remember Sasuke Uchiha?" she wondered conversationally, sporting a warm smile.

Even if the man wanted to answer, he didn't dare remove his hand for fear that the yelling would overtake his words.

"I asked you a _question_. It's not polite to ignore a lady," Sakura scolded and she dragged her blade up his leg, splitting flesh and muscle like paper.

Blood spurted into the air; the man writhed in agony, thick streams of tears running down his cheeks. "AAAAAAGH—yes! YES! YES! I know him! Stop—stop it! _PLEASE_!"

Sakura smiled, licking her scarlet colored lips. "Yay, you know him. See, he's the reason I do what I do. There are so many people like you, people who are _vile_—"

She wiggled the blade.

"—_disgusting_—"

She twisted it sideways.

"—and _impure_. Nothing but scurrying roaches. You all make me _sick_." Now her voice morphed into something horrific, like the sweet lullaby of a demon, and she wrenched the weapon from his leg. "Every free chance I get I go to the Konoha holding center and see which inmates are scheduled for death-row. After they so kindly tell me the names, I leave...then come back after lights out to finish them myself. I've memorized the entire death-row list, including the times and places." She glanced down at the number on the mans blood-drenched shirt. "Cellmate 1102-423. Yes, I know you. Your name is Satou Miyabi, convicted for the murder of three civilians and the attempted assassination of the Wind Daimyo. _You fucking failure_."

Horror reflected predominantly in Satou's watery eyes. "H-how…?" he croaked, the color draining from his face. He could feel blood rapidly escaping his leg wound, seeping into the forest floor. "Why…?"

Without warning, Sakura slashed at the mans throat, her blade biting hungrily into his flesh. As the blood poured down his front, Satou wretched, grasping frantically at his neck in a vain attempt to staunch the flow. He couldn't; it dribbled through his fingers—his eyes began to roll—

"Not enough," whispered Sakura, and she stabbed him in the chest, her eyes blank stones as she dragged the blade down to his stomach, then left, then right, then diagonal—she was carving like it was an art project, blissfully believing the gushing red to be paint. "It's...not enough…."

The spark of life had long since left Satou's eyes yet Sakura continued to impale the body, only stopping once she saw that what used to be within Satou was now spilling out onto the crimson-stained glass; she could readily identify every organ with swift precision thanks to Tsunade taking her on as a medical assistant.

Slowly she stood, that familiar demented voice in the back of her head cheering.

_Go, Sakura! Go! You did it! One more to add to the list! Who was it again? Satou…Satou…Sa—ah! Here we go! Yup, another one bites the dust!_

"But...but Sasuke's still dead," she whimpered, staring down at her blood suffused arms. "I...this one I cut up so good so why...why isn't he alive yet?"

_Because, sweetie, it takes time. The more blood we spill, the quicker his revival will be! We have to help, remember? We have to continue to make sure nothing happens to Naruto! If anyone can bring back our Sasuke, it's him! Go Naruto!_

"Yeah...yeah!" exclaimed Sakura, her eyes regaining their sugary sweet sparkle. She turned in the direction of Naruto's shout and felt her chest swell with adoration. That little blonde haired goofball was going through so much trouble in order to bring Sasuke back...and she would help him with whatever he needed! She would continue to protect him!

_We have to be ready to do anything, Sakura. Do you understand me? If Naruto shows any sign of weakening, or not wanting to bring Sasuke back anymore...you must deal with him, alright?_

Sakura nodded dutifully. "Okay! But there won't be a need, little Sakura, because once his mind's made up, he won't stop for nothing! He...but…." And now a frown had formed. "But there's Crowa...he keeps saying it's wrong to bring Sasuke back...he's against it."

Little Sakura giggled with pure glee. _Then we kill him if we must! Silly girl, don't let such trivial things muddle what needs to be done! That hybrid monster is easily manageable—you just worry about keeping Naruto on the right path and I'll take care of him._

This cheered Sakura up immensely and she began to run towards Naruto's voice. The gruesome scene she'd left behind would become just a distant memory within the next hour—it always did. Little Sakura made sure of it. She kept Sakura happy, she had to because if Sakura committed herself to the suicidal plans bouncing around within her damaged brain then Little Sakura would cease to be as well.

And that was unacceptable.

When Sasuke was pronounced dead, Sakura had died on the inside. Her mind cracked, her rationality was shot, and she saw no need to continue living in a world that wasn't blessed with her loving Uchiha's scowl.

That's when a fragment of her mind, quite possibly a smaller part of her self-perseverance, took on the mental persona of Little Sakura. She gave Sakura all kinds of ideas, told her of the many ways she could relieve herself of the anger, the regret, the loneliness. Slaughtering animals was how it started—with the first being that damn cat belonging to the fire daimyo's wife—but that quickly grew stale and the suicidal thoughts pushed to the forefront again.

Panicked, Little Sakura suggested killing humans. So broken was her mind that Sakura agreed. Little Sakura remembered their first murder like it was yesterday: an elderly man in the hospital, dying of lung cancer. He had four, maybe six days tops before death claimed him anyway...so they sped up the process and pulled the plug. No one even knew it was her. Sakura was a good actor, able to fix a faux smile over her face when deep within, Little Sakura was bawling her head off, laughing and pumping her fist.

The killing came easier after that, not that it was ever hard in the beginning, but the scale of them continued to grow and grow. At first it was the elderly. Then regular hospital folk. Then children—it amused her to no end how delicate their bodies were, how easily they could _break_. After that came the big step to other ninja—like that gas mask-wearing jerk who attacked them during the chunin exams—until she came to a pause at the Konoha holding penitentiary.

There was just something _magical_ about a place that held those scheduled for death. It was like a petting zoo to her, where she could pick any inmate she wanted and _do_ whatever she wanted. With her smarts, creating elaborate ways for them to escape was child's play, as was disposing of the bodies.

Outside of Little Sakura, the physical Sakura knew that her mind was cracked. She knew she was crazy, dangerously psychotic even, yet...the pain was too great to bear. Even now, every time she crawled into her cold bed she would cry until the despair and regret carried her off into a troubled sleep. Her love...her future…her husband...they were all gone, _dead_. With Little Sakura came a sense of freedom; she didn't have to think so much anymore, and with all the worthless people in Konoha who desperately needed pruning, there was hardly time to allow that creeping darkness to overtake her.

She would keep moving, marching forward under Little Sakura's kind rule towards the bright yellow beacon that was Naruto. He was the key to bringing back the one she loved—the one she would die for—and she would keep him safe until he completed his plan.

Then he too would die.

And why wouldn't he?

He was the one who killed Sasuke in the first place!

For the past two months, Sakura and Little Sakura had been planning, formulating, and plotting the best way to deliver the most brutal death they could think of to Naruto. It started out as a simple cracked neck, then it blossomed beautifully into something that still brought tears to Sakura's eyes whenever her mind drifted to it. Yes, his death would be her masterpiece, her last crowning achievement…she would keep him alive until Sasuke returned, and then….

"Naruto!" she called into the darkness, sheathing her tanto. "Naruto, I'm coming!"

**XXX**

"Where is your leader? Where is _Mizuki_?" Crowa snarled at the inmate he had clutched by the front of his shirt.

"I—I don't know! I swear! H-he only told us to slow you down—"

Crowa backhanded the man, knocking a spray of blood from his mouth.

"Slow us down while he goes _where_?" he hissed. "I know you know! Talk!"

"PLEASE—"

There was a flash of white fire, a dull _thump_, and silence as Crowa sighed, turning towards the small group of bound inmates. He captured more than twelve, bound them all up in a circle, and was beginning the questioning process to see which one of them held the information he required.

So far he'd already had to kill six.

"Do you see what happened to them?" he asked clearly, motioning towards the small heap of bodies. "Lying makes me very _angry_, and making me angry equates to death! I don't know whether you all are death-row or just petty offenders but know this and know it well: I couldn't care less! I didn't get assigned to this mission to sift through criminal backgrounds! You ALL will die unless one of you gutless, spineless pieces of shit tells me what I want to know!"

He flexed a hand and it ignited in a sea of crackling pure white fire, the heat so intense that even from their distance, many of the criminals began to squirm and sweat.

"_Shiro Hito no Jutsu. _This is a secret technique that's passed down through the main members of my clan—it's a technique that burns not your flesh, but your very soul. In the olden times it was used to weed out the demonic, those who had cast themselves aside for the sake of greed, hatred, and evil...but now, it's mostly used during interrogations. Much like this one."

Crowa approached the shivering mass of inmates and snatched a female forward by her lengthy auburn hair. He put her on her knees, gripping her by the chin so she couldn't look away. "Male, female, gender means nothing to me." He lifted his enflamed hand. "If this touches you, the flames will enter your body without a mark and latch onto your soul. You will roast from the inside out, never dying, never finding peace until I cancel it. Now, _tell me where Mizuki went_!"

Tears began escaping the woman's eyes. Crowa scowled, reading her in an instant. She wouldn't speak, not because she didn't want to—her eyes blared for him to understand that—but because she _couldn't_. She was forbidden by something, her tongue tied.

_Probably some sort of silencing jutsu_, he thought, squeezing tighter. "What's your crime then?" he asked tersely.

Now she was able to speak, issuing a shuddering gasp. "It...it w-wasn't my fault, I—"

The warm night air dipped into frigid winds when Crowa growled, cutting her off. "I don't care about faults. I asked you what your _fucking_ crime was."

She whimpered in his clutch. "I gave the enemy my team coordinates."

"For your own life?"

"Y-yes, but—"

The flame around Crowa's hand extinguished itself, casting everything back into a cold state of semidarkness. All was silent, then every single criminal jerked with nausea when a small crunch reverberated just out of their line of sight.

"That wasn't even _worth_ using my talents on," Crowa grumbled, and as he walked into view, a unified shudder ran throughout the rest of his hostages when they sighted the woman he dragged by the throat. She was dead, her mouth askew, eyes wide and bloodshot.

"You...you _monster_—you killed her!" screamed one of the men.

Crowa laughed. And laughed. And laughed some more until it subsided into a maddened cackle that made the back of their teeth itch. "A monster?" he chuckled, regaining himself. He threw the woman's corpse on the ground before them. "No, _she_ was the monster. You don't betray your comrades. No matter what."

The closest inmate, a small male with short brown hair, worked his throat for a second then hocked a glob of spit in Crowa's face. "_Fucker_! You wanted her to sell out the one who helped us escape! What the hell kinda sense are you talking?"

Beginning to laugh again, Crowa used two fingers to wipe the fluids from his eye. "Such is the sorrow when one finds out that life isn't fair. Either way it went she was screwed, that's true, and I really couldn't give two shits what you say or think. This is a battlefield and you are the enemy. I'm not going to reason and give easy choices to the enemy."

He raised both hands elegantly, like he was about to conduct a chorus.

"_Shiro Hito no Jutsu_."

The surrounding area was once again lit ablaze with a heated white glow.

"You there, the one who spit at me...I'm going to show you the true definition of a monster."

**XXX**

A plume of smoke escaped into the night air and Kakashi inhaled deeply, calmingly, letting the nicotine soothe him. It only took four puffs until the cigarette was burned through and he flicked it into a berry bush, pulling his mask back up. Damn that felt good. He couldn't recall the last time he'd smoked but after coming to such a huge revelation the urge just choked him into submission.

All around him he could feel spikes of recognizable chakra exploding into the air, each one amounting to the power he once wielded recklessly when he was their age. There was a bouncing chakra infused with a trace of darkness that he guessed was Naruto; then there was a white burst of chakra that he knew to be Crowa; and finally he felt something that stretched far and beyond the realm of darkness that lightly covered Naruto's chakra. It was downright _infested_, squirming and wiggling like maggots—he almost couldn't believe his little cherry blossom Sakura was the incubator for it.

He stared out around the unconscious inmates he'd taken down. "What...are my students turning into?"

The moment they were all separated, Kakashi had peaked his sensitivity levels so as to keep constant track of his charges. From the beginning he knew that each of them had taken the confusion as a means to merely drag off certain inmates into a secluded area to test out their individual talents without fear of prying eyes.

He followed Naruto first and was...shocked, to say the least, with the blonde's progression over the past few months. He'd been clueless to the fact that Naruto was mixing elements into his Rasengan jutsu. The technique itself was very amateurish and unbelievably sloppy but to have come so far on his own without any help….

"Simply amazing. And a tad bit unnerving."

Next came Crowa, the biggest mystery the copy-nin had ever seen. Kakashi had done his research after inducting the hybrid into his squad and the backstory he'd found was one that, after his own long life of trials, did very little to move him emotionally, but he found a certain kinship with the boy now. Like Naruto, Crowa had a skillset that he wasn't quite ready to share with the rest of them yet. And that was fine, completely acceptable.

"For right now at least."

That left Sakura. To his chagrin, Kakashi didn't even know where to begin. This would be a common case of judging a book by its cover: he'd always thought Sakura to be his sweet, pink-haired little kunoichi who, underneath her shy exterior, had great pools of potential hidden within. Tsunade certainly thought so anyway. But this...what he'd felt as she _worked_ was something so dark it dredged up memories of when the Nine-Tails attacked.

It was all so simple to figure out and it made him wonder how he'd ever missed it. She was a victim of loss love, which had been compiled on top of unrequited-love. Throw all of that together in a blender, mix in a cup of grief and you were left with an overly smart kunoichi with a deadly propensity for...what? What exactly was she doing? After feeling her chakra there was no doubt in Kakashi's mind that she was broken both mentally and physically.

"Well, I guess physically wouldn't be the right term," he mumbled, remembering the tanto she carried into the mission. He chuckled, putting a hand to his chin.

He hadn't killed a single escaped inmate, choosing instead to knock each of them out with a well-placed chop to the neck. He didn't know a single one from Adam yet could be sure that some of them had families, that some of them had been wrongly accused—it was a common mistake and he refused to bring grief to a lonely mother and child. All around him, however, especially in the areas where his students were, he could feel chakra signatures blowing out like a candle in the wind.

His chuckle ended in a firm head nod. "Alright. You three think you can hide forever? You think you can keep certain parts of yourself a secret from each other, from _me_? Oh, no, no, no, my little students. That won't do."

And within his head he formulated the perfect exercise to get them to all to come together as a single cohesive unit. They would learn not to keep things to themselves, they would learn to speak freely, and they would learn the meaning of _teamwork_. That, or they'd be crushed. He was the man who was legendary for having failed over sixty-seven genin squads, and each one proved to be just as he summarized them when they finally did graduate. A lot of them had perished on missions but that wasn't his concern.

Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Crowa...they were his squad now, and as far as teams went, they were in need of some dire training.

"But first...we have to find Mizuki."

His visible eye displaying a smirk, Kakashi became as a shadow, melting silently into the gloom in search of his students.

**XXX**

A/N: Here's a little bit of trivia:

_It's true, some days are dark and lonely_

_And maybe you feel sad_

_But Toaster will be there to show you that it isn't that bad_

^ Anyone who knows what this lyric is from is just awesome. /)


	14. Setting Her Free

Future Plans

A/N: Wyrd Darcnyzz: Whassup, dude? Some little tidbits. 1: thanks for reading, always appreciated. 2: I never planned to follow canon from the beginning, y'know, with Sasuke being dead off the bat. And 3: I hope you enjoyed what you read before quitting! ^_^

Chapter XIV: Setting Her Free

**XXX**

Fuck.

_Fuck!_

Just what was the hell is all this? My eyes roamed over the darkened macabre scene, taking in every last disturbing detail. I lost track of the bodies going into the double digits and a constricting lump formed in my throat when I spotted one corpse that was clearly the pinnacle of this madness. It had been completely butchered, the ribcage sliced open and the bones pulled out allowing a multitude of organs I couldn't even begin to describe to slip and slide to the ground—

I slapped a hand to my mouth, wholly thankful that as a spirit I had no stomach and thus nothing to vomit. I still felt nauseous, dizzy even—I'd never seen so much brutality, so much gore—just what the fuck happened here?

Wait...wait..._shit_, this is where Sakura had been wasn't it? This is where I told Naruto she was and...and—

The stench of human innards punched me in the nose and I stumbled back, feeling my heart begin to race.

_I'm gonna puke, I'm gonna puke, I'm gonna p—_

Much like a switch being flipped, something clicked in the back of my head and I slowly lowered my hand, feeling extremely daft. A little chortle passed my lips. Apparently, I'd forgotten myself. My last name was Uchiha, not Uzumaki. The hell was so disturbing about this? Had I not seen worse? _Way_ worse?

I approached the mutilated cadaver and dropped to my toes next to it, hands on my knees as I leaned in close. The overwhelming stench of stagnant blood breezed under my nose, one that set fire to my brain. That was easy enough to ignore the second time around but what had me confused was...what in the hell was wrong with Sakura?

This had to be her handiwork. Had to be. Naruto's chakra signature was behind me, Crowa's to the left, and Kakashi? Hell, I couldn't even feel his but that pervert didn't seem the type to do something like this. Logically, out of all of cell 7 only Sakura seemed unstable enough to work out her frustrations in such a gruesome way. It was clear that my death had rocked the little pink-haired flower but damn...to think it extended this far blindsided me.

This kind of behavior pretty much snuffed all previous aspirations of seeking her out should I ever return to the physical world. The very thought was dampened by the fact that if I disappointed her even once I could pretty much say goodbye to my manhood. I reached out for a blood-drenched tube of intestine that was leaking some sort of lime green fluid, sighing when my hand phased right through it.

"She really went ham on you, uh…." I paused, looking at his prison tag; I could barely make out anything through the rusted blood. "Cellmate number 1102-423. Just what in the hell did you say to her to get the _royal_ treatment?"

I waited all of three seconds for an answer, during which I played with the notion that just being around such madness was driving _me_ insane. I smirked, standing. Rays of bright moonlight shined down through a break in the trees overhead, illuminating and showing me everything that I'd missed.

"Why hasn't she killed Naruto then?" I wondered aloud to no one in particular. Honestly, no matter how wrong the question seemed it was the way life had taught me to think. It seemed downright..._odd_ to treat the person who'd killed your object of love with such tenderness, going so far as to break rank in order to protect them. Why had she not struck the blonde down and….

My eyes widened and I turned towards where I felt Naruto and Sakura's chakra commingling meaning she'd found him.

Of course. Fucking duh. She hadn't killed him yet because she still needed him! That had to be it! Over the past couple of months Sakura must have been training herself non-stop in order to confront Naruto and take him down; she needed her skills to be polished as a back-up in case a stealthy assassination attempt fell through. She would need a way to battle him on even ground if he ever wised up, hence the tanto. She only picked it up to kill Naruto.

But then….

But then when he stated spouting about bringing me back she must have realized that if anybody could do that seemingly impossible task then it had to be him! And why not believe? That blonde-haired fox had performed plenty of abnormal feats in the past and come out just fine.

"So...essentially, Naruto saved his own neck when he proclaimed his plans." I could just about kick myself for not noticing sooner but I'd been too preoccupied with my own shit to worry about anything else. How close had Sakura been to actually doing it? Would she _still_ do it? My mind began working fast, thoughts racing by in a blur. "She's cracked. Utterly, irreparably cracked. She'll keep him alive so long as he continues to make good on his promise. No doubt she'll _persuade_ him if he shows signs of slacking or giving up."

I shook my head, inhaling deeply then blowing it out slowly. Nobody would find out about this. No, this was my fault. All of this. Because of me and my petty revenge I've crushed the mind of a fellow Konoha nin—and who knows what else she's been doing when not around us? Could she be the one behind the missing inmates from the prison? My gut told me yes but my heart said no.

_I'll take care of it_, I swore mentally, bowing my head towards the sea of corpses in a silent plea for forgiveness. _All of you may have been death row convicts or just petty first offenders but either way...you didn't deserve to die like this._

When the time came that Naruto finally managed to bring me back—if such a blessing ever occurred—then I would do it. I would kill her before she killed him.

Trying to get on the same thought wavelength as a psychotically disturbed kunoichi in love was not something I particularly excelled at but it allowed me some foresight into her planning process. It's what made sense. If I'm brought back she won't need Naruto anymore so why let him continue breathing? No, she'd kill him then probably either try to make me hers or, more likely, attempt a double suicide for both of us after realizing there'd be no future for her after killing him.

I wasn't going out like that. I was an Uchiha, damn it. I may have fucked up big time in the past but this was the perfect chance at redemption. Somehow, after being brought back, I would lure Sakura into revealing her entire plan to me, start to finish; then, I'd kill her, simple as that. Given the evidence I'd hopefully be able to scrounge up, maybe I'd escape incarceration and maybe I wouldn't, but either way...I couldn't let such a troubled creature continue breathing knowing that it was I who created it.

Yes. I would set her free myself, with my own hands. Until then...I'll keep an eye on her, see if I can't communicate with the part of Sakura I used to know, the part that used to annoy the fuck out of me yet followed any command I gave. If I could tap into _that_ Sakura then maybe….

"Who're you trying to fool, Sasuke?" I chastised myself, turning around and beginning to walk towards the two chakra signatures. One was bright with a dark rim; the other was completely curdled. "When one breaks into that many pieces...there's no way they can ever be whole again."

**XXX**

"So who taught you humility on the battlefield?"

Crowa didn't look up upon hearing his new sensei's voice nor did he turn around to face him. "It's one thing to act a certain way in front of your foes in order to get information from them...but something else entirely when they're dead."

"All of 'my foes' are alive," Kakashi said, staring at the numerous filled graves in the area. "Unconscious and probably brain-dead now but still alive."

Crowa hunched his shoulders and lifted a small cross made out of twigs and twine he'd brought along. He jammed it into the last grave and stood. "I'm glad you can exercise such self-control and precision strikes, sensei," he uttered almost mutely. "It's something I was never taught. I was never taught how to go easy, how to question the target without killing it." He turned sideways to stare at Kakashi, the ends of his bandana blowing in the wind. "That's what I hope you can teach me during my stay here."

"If you want me to teach you you're going to have to be more open to me."

"Is that an option?"

"It's pretty much a mandate."

"I don't like mandates."

"And I was never found of secrets so we're one of the same."

"Not really."

"Then I have nothing to teach you, Crowa. You have great talent, there's no denying that. With your abilities there's not a doubt in my mind that you could easily become a Chunin and higher—but you lack the main ingredient necessary to ascend from the cage you find yourself trapped in."

Narrowing his eyes, Crowa clenched a hand out of sight. "And that would be...what?"

"Benevolence. It's not all about finding your opponent and taking them down as quickly as possible. You're too tight, too wound up. You have to be able to show mercy where it's called for."

"I buried the bodies didn't I? Doesn't that count?"

"In a way yes and no. It shows you have good manners for the dead. The same cannot be said for the living. I've read your files, heard what you've done."

Clenching even tighter, Crowa felt a piece of his nail pierce his palm. The pain that followed, along with the blood that dripped from his fingers, cooled his mind. "Being like that is how I've survived thus far. You can't expect me to change all that just because I'm in a different location…."

"I'm not telling you let go, I'm telling you to accept other ways."

Crowa said nothing. He was starting to feel funny, like something warm was being stroked just behind his chest. Unmoving, he instantly snuffed that feeling and welcomed the cold that followed.

"Will you give it a chance?" Kakashi asked.

**XXX**

Grinning haggardly, Naruto began to fall backwards, his legs giving out. He expected to crash into the hard earth, but was met with soft arms that gently caught and eased him into a reclined position. He glanced up, happy to see Sakura smiling down at him, her sparkling green eyes concentrated solely on him.

"Silly, you weigh a _ton_ in those pants," she grunted, still oddly managing to lift him up, flinging his arm over her shoulders. She gazed out at all the wreckage, at the tree toppled, the bushes uprooted, and, most peculiarly, all the holes in the ground. She sighted the bodies of more inmates and felt Little Sakura smile. "Are they all dead? Did you kill them?" she pondered.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow at the eagerness in her voice. "No," he ground out, beginning to feel the agony of his ruined right hand. "W-why would I? I don't know what these dudes did to get put in prison…."

He vividly remembered a couple of the inmates running off after proclaiming himself their "executioner". He'd never planned on killing any of them, only employing a tactic that Sasuke had taught him called 'bluffing', roaring loudly even when you had nothing to get your attackers to turn tail and run.

He watched, slightly confused as what could only be seen as a frown began to form over Sakura's lips. It was then he looked down, noticing all the blood that covered her, that was soaking into his own clothes.

"Whoa! What in the—Sakura, _what happened_?" he blustered, momentarily forgetting his own troubles. "Are you hurt? Did they cut you somewhere? That's a lot of blood!"

She shook her head, a lie popping into her head almost instantly courtesy of Little Sakura. "No, I changed into one of the inmates and watched as they beat each other stupid trying to pick out the fake…."

Naruto nodded. "Smart, as expected of the mighty forehead," he joked.

Sakura's right eye twitched yet Little Sakura forbade her from simply snapping his neck even as she helped him deeper into the forest thicket.

"Doesn't something about her seem off to you?" mused a voice and Naruto looked over, cursing mentally when he saw Anko skipping alongside them, hands behind her back as she smiled at him.

_What the hell—why're you…no...you won't tell me anyway. What're you talking about? _hethought.

Now Anko twirled until she was walking backwards in front of Sakura who continued forward, oblivious to the jonin. "Look at her. She's covered in blood."

_So? She made the inmates fight each other, blood must've went flying._

"_That_ much?" Anko pressed with a slight laugh. "You know, kitten, it doesn't help to only get smarter in the way of techniques and planning when you still remain woefully ignorant to others around you."

_The fuck are you talking about? I'm seeing you aren't I? And Sasuke, too!_

Anko shook her head, sighing with a sort of unconditional love towards the blonde. "Your idiocy is so baffling it makes me want to strap you to a table and dissect your brain to figure out if there's a tumor that causes it. Because really, you're _that_ stupid."

_Fuck you._

She winked at him. "Not even in your wildest dreams, kitten."

And she faded.

Before Naruto could rejoice, Sakura suddenly threw up a waving arm, yelling out, "Hey! Kakashi-sensei, Crowa-kun! Over here!"

**XXX**

I hated keeping secrets—well, obviously not when I was alive—but when Naruto asked what was troubling me as they all sat huddled around a campfire, I couldn't bring myself to tell him that the girl on his left, the one smiling and offering him half her portion of beans and rice, wanted to kill him. Not only would that confuse him but that'd be outing the girl before I had a chance to deal with her, for better or for worse.

_It's nothing,_ I responded mentally, replying in a manner that wouldn't draw Crowa's ears as well. The hybrid was especially tensed after that little fight; I could feel his senses on end, searching and waiting for anything to jump out at them.

It'd been decided by Kakashi to rest tonight, rise with the sun, and continue towards the porting village. Naruto had thrown a fit about having to wait, but he could hardly walk in his own weighted pants and the hand he'd used to form the _Chikyu Rasengan_ was shredded beyond what normal healing agents could fix. Sakura gave him first aid as best she could yet Naruto, like me, knew the fox would likely handle the rest of the work. After some persuading, he begrudgingly yielded to resting to restore his strength.

"This sucks so much ass," he grumbled into his can of food, side-glancing the bundle of crimson gauze wrapped around his palm.

I stared up into the sky wondering when the night would vanish, allowing the sun to rise and dispel all of the blood and despair. It clung to the group like a second skin, suffocating even me. It was all too clear that every one of them had a secret that they refused to tell one another and so far the only one I had nailed was Sakura. Crowa was hiding something, as was Naruto—I knew that techniques and weighted clothing couldn't be all he had up his sleeve.

"Deal with it," I snapped. "You need to shut up, eat, sleep, and regain your chakra. It'd suck for you to meet Mizuki and be nothing but a liability."

The very thought widened Naruto's eyes and he fell silent, eagerly warfing down his food. Sakura giggled. I cringed at the sound, barely noticing how Kakashi's eye seemed to bead in on her for a terse second before sliding away. My breath caught. Did...did he know too?

I froze as I processed that notion...then quickly deleted it. Kakashi wasn't the type of person to just let something of that caliber go by unmentioned. If he did know he would have already said something.

My gaze once again drifted skyward, my conscious deeply troubled about what the future held. From where I stood it was looking bleak and dreary, caked in blood and doused in the screams of my friends….

Was me coming back really what was right for the ninja world? What chain of events were being set in place because of it? I...I didn't know...and to be honest, I didn't want to know.

"Hey, Sasuke," called Naruto casually, and the fact that he was speaking to me out loud where everyone could hear not only caused Crowa, Sakura, and Kakashi to look up in stupefaction, but me as well. "You can quit worrying about dumb stuff. I already promised you, didn't I? I think of all of us as a family, Crowa included. When I bring you back we can start all over again so chill and let me handle this," he smirked.

Crowa only lifted his head, jaw working over his food, before looking back down, opting for a respectful silence.

Sakura giggled again.

"Go for what you know," Kakashi said cryptically.

The fact that none of them openly agreed didn't deter Naruto in the slightest. He only continued to grin to himself as he finished the last of his food. It was clear that aside from Sakura's silent cheering, Naruto was by himself in this endeavor. Well, except for Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, and Neji...but really, how dependable were they going to be in the long run?

Fuck, I hate all this thinking. Makes my head hurt.

I'm going to rest….

**XXX**


	15. No Mercy

Chapter XV: No Mercy

**XXX**

Mizuki screamed in an almost unholy fury with his head thrown back. He couldn't believe it! The amount of sheer idiocy shown now was...was—words failed the escaped convict as he longingly stared out over the barren harbor. There were no ships anywhere in sight, no people either. He could barely hear the sounds of the lapping waves over his furiously beating heart. He had traveled for over _three_ days straight—barely nonstop except for food breaks—and had arrived only to find that his vessel had taken off without him!

Why? The fuck why? None of the crew he'd busted out with him were at his side as he'd ordered them all to stay behind to delay their captures while he went ahead to secure the boat. That had been a lie, of course. The original plan was to leave them behind and flee by himself with the crew he already had stationed on the ship...but now it seemed as though karma had bitch-slapped him right back to square one.

No.

Square one didn't exist.

He had no square.

All he had was jack shit and—

"MIZUKI!"

Stuttering forward a few steps, he whirled around to see a group of four ninja bursting through the forest on the right side of the harbor. He recognized three of them almost immediately—that silver-haired Kakashi, that demon-fox Naruto, and that worthless bitch Sakura—but the fourth one, the one with the ears and tail...just what in the hell was he supposed to be?

_This...this isn't right. Orochimaru-sama promised me he'd...that he'd be here for me…._

**XXX**

"Everyone. Stay out of this," Naruto commanded, throwing both arms out to the side as his cell proceeded to step forward.

"Come again?" Crowa said.

"You heard me. I said stay back. This bastard's mine and mine alone."

Quicker than Naruto could blink, Crowa had ducked under his arm, whirled around, and punched him on the lower jaw sending a bolt of pain that effectively stunned the blonde. "We seem to be having a communication problem here," he scowled, snatching Naruto forward by the front of his shirt. "That's what you meant to say, was it? Couldn't be. We are a _team_. We're doing this together."

"That was a good shot," retorted Naruto, ignoring the hybrids words as he rubbed his jaw. "Feelin' lucky for another?"

Sakura stepped up beside him, her eyes trained keenly on Mizuki. "Naruto, Crowa's right. We're a cell for a reason—"

"And the reason he's mine doesn't concern none of you," Naruto snapped, snatching himself from Crowa's grip. He fixed the hybrid with a hard look. "Whenever you feel like getting of that high horse of yours and helping me solidify my plan to bring back Sasuke then that's when we're _together_, that's when we're a _cell_. But that guy right there"—and he pointed at Mizuki who glowered—"that little piece of traitorous shit is going down by my hand!"

A _whooshing_ noise tore through the air and time slowed to a crawl when Crowa tilted his head left, allowing a gigantic windmill shuriken to spin past, nicking him across the cheek; just opposite him, Naruto leaned to the right and winced when he felt the metal bisect the flesh just below his eye.

As blood escaped his students, Kakashi lifted a single hand and, using the metal plate on the back of his glove, knocked the shuriken off course where it whizzed into the forest behind them.

"You'll have to come stronger than that, Mizuki," he replied calmly to the white haired escapist's snarl. "Me joining in on this would be nothing short of unfair to my students growth, and seeing as how your little chauffeur has gone and left you, well...I'd say this would be the perfect exercise. In teamwork," he added tersely, staring at Naruto as he rubbed the spot under his eye.

"Is that an order?" the blonde questioned without looking back, ignoring the way Sakura dabbed at his wound with a pure-white handkerchief.

Just that one little question brought to Kakashi's mind the notion Naruto and Crowa were alike in more ways in one. It wasn't their likeness in body shape or height, but their attitude—where Crowa was inherently born with battle-hardened tactics (at least, it was assumed), Naruto had only begun to act this way after Sasuke's death, displaying random bursts of cynicism usually when confronted with obstacles relating to his past or the aforementioned Uchiha.

"No," Kakashi replied, "consider it an option."

"Then he'll be taking it." Crowa spoke up for Naruto, pointing to the cut on his cheek. "He cut me. That should be enough for my inclusion now."

Naruto scowled. "What kinda screw up logic—?"

"Well, what about me?" asked Sakura, brandishing her bloody tanto. "I want to join and help!"

Standing beside Kakashi, Sasuke's eyes suddenly flew skyward and he scowled. "Up high!" he called out with piqued annoyance. "Quit squabbling like kids and pay attention! Get this done!"

Naruto grit his teeth as a figure dropped down betwixt him, Sakura and Crowa. Having his senses put on end from using his new jutsu, Naruto knew exactly what was going on in his surroundings and didn't need that Uchiha jerk berating him!

"I know already!" he bellowed, swerving to the side as Mizuki threw out a blindingly fast right hook; he took the jailed chunin by the arm. "Sakura, now!"

Almost without needing to be told, Sakura grabbed Mizuki's other arm, pulling out a kunai as Naruto did the same; in unison, they stabbed the instruments deep into the crook of Mizuki's arm, purposefully dragging the blade to make a blood-spurting slit—

Mizuki let loose a howl befitting a banshee and flung the two genin from him, suffering further lacerations but succeeding in sending them skidding over the ground. His arms hug limply, streaks of arterial blood running the length of them, dripping off his fingers.

"YOU FUCKING MONGRELS!"

A glint of silver caught Mizuki's eye and he leapt backwards as Crowa stepped forward, failing at his attempt to drive it into Mizuki's throat.

"Damn. Missed." Crowa twirled the instrument once before snapping his hand around it as Naruto and Sakura got to their feet behind him. "Phase one: disable jutsu usage. Complete."

Sasuke blinked, utterly surprised. When had they formed that plan? Had he been that preoccupied with Sakura's mental health that he failed to notice a group meeting of sorts? He glanced up to gauge Kakashi's reaction and saw that he too looked highly intrigued by that display of teamwork. Apparently, he hadn't seen it coming either.

"Phase two: Immobilize completely," continued Sakura, fanning out to the right while Naruto took the left. "_Go_!"

The three Genin leapt at in unison, attacking from a different angle. Each of them wielded a kunai that they slashed with yet Mizuki was incredibly agile, even despite his injuries. He ducked and swerved like his life depended on it—and it did but the way he wove his useless arms through their strikes only served to enrage Naruto further.

_Fuck it all, he's playing with us_, he thought after being backslapped by one of Mizuki's limp hands. It left a red handprint on his face and he scowled, giving a sharp whistle.

At once, the three genin broke off and took several steps back, their weapons raised while Mizuki stood in their nexus, chest heaving as his eyes zipped from one to the other.

Not a single word was spoken between cell 7—they transferred messages through subtle body shifts and small, inconspicuous head movements. It wasn't exactly teamwork they had practiced as a single cohesive unit yet Naruto found himself grateful that they had received a somewhat competent member to replace Sasuke instead of some bumbling ninja wannabe. Crowa caught their messages quite well and even integrated some of his own into the mix, which, Naruto had to admit, weren't half bad considering they were outmatched.

Outmatched, but not outsmarted.

A cooling shadow crossed the port as clouds moved to block the sun. The waves lapped up against the docking stations and the smell of saltwater became more pronounced. The only noise came from the synchronized, and sometimes victorious, squawks of seagulls as they worked in tandem to catch fish.

Crowa suddenly flung his kunai; the moment it left his hand it vanished under the speed yet Mizuki lifted a leg, catching it between his toes—what he didn't catch was the kunai Sakura had thrown and it bit into his left calf. Angered, Mizuki spun on his injured leg, using the momentum to fling Crowa's kunai at her.

Sakura took a step back, deflecting it with her tanto and grinned through the sparks. "Wow, didn't see that one coming!"

_He's stalling,_ Naruto thought, receiving a mental nod of sorts from Sasuke. _He hasn't tried to attack us yet because he's trying to buy time hoping that his ride will arrive, or come back. _

"_Naruto_!" Kakashi called.

Naruto blinked, brought back to reality in time for Mizuki to headbutt him squarely in the chest, stunning him.

"It's over, demon!" Mizuki raged and he quirked his neck almost to a breaking point, snatching the kunai from Naruto's hand with his bare teeth.

He brought it down too fast to catch, too fast to see—

"NARUTO!"

"_Fuck._"


	16. First Mission, First

Chapter XVI: First Mission, First….

**XXX**

It happened too fast for Naruto to catch.

One moment, Mizuki had been yards away—but then his attention wavered for a second and suddenly, the runaway ninja was close enough to spit on him, the point of a kunai catching the sunlight as it came crashing down—

"_Fuck._"

"NARUTO!"

Naruto was no stranger to dying; it was more like he and the god of death had this perverse mutual understanding where they had to meet up at least twice a week, three times if the situation called for it, just to see how one another was doing. The fear of being dragged away into that paralyzing darkness had long since been extinguished but as Naruto stared up at the weapon en route to take his life, he could only regret not having achieved a single thing in his life outside of being the bane of existence to an entire village.

But, hey...that was something...right?

So he didn't revive Sasuke...everyone seemed adamant against it anyway—

_**Human pessimism is such an ugly thing. Lift your head, kit**_.

That rumbling voice reached up like a gnarled hand of dread, latching itself onto Naruto's heart; he felt his head rising against his will, rising against fate—

There was an ear-piercing _CRANG, _sparks exploded into the air like fireworks as the kunai struck Naruto's hitae-ate; the impact rattled Naruto's brain, he felt the tip pierce the protective metal, imbedding itself into his skin before he lost his footing and began to fall backwards. A split second later, a boot came down on his chest and Crowa used the falling blonde as a stepping stone to launch himself forward, wielding nothing but his bare hands as he tackled Mizuki to the ground.

"_Let's see how you taste_," and his fangs sank easily into Mizuki's salty flesh.

Blood burbled up like a freshly dug spring and Mizuki yelled out, thrusting his knee into Crowa's midsection with such force that the two rolled up, separating.

"You fucking _dog_!" Mizuki howled, the right side of his throat saturated in blood, two big puncture wounds clearly visible.

Unperturbed, Crowa spat scarlet, wiping his mouth clear. "You...have the most _nastiest_ blood I've ever tasted. Surely prison food can't be that bad," he shuddered, causing Sakura to giggle.

"Cut the jokes and get the job done!" Sasuke yelled, hands to his mouth. "Every second you idiots waste is another chance for this bastard to try something stupid!"

Climbing to his feet, Naruto could feel streams of blood leaking under his hiate-ate. How long had it been since he'd last thanked the fox for saving his skin? He couldn't remember but damn it, credit where it's due. He'd completely forgotten that his headband was indeed there to protect his noggin. Catching a few droplets of blood on his tongue, Naruto came up behind Crowa, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Using me like a stepladder...genius, but don't do it again."

"I'll do it as many times as you put yourself in that position," Crowa responded without thought.

Before Naruto could respond, Mizuki began to cackle. It was a laugh tainted with madness, depravity, the hollow sound of a broken man who knew his time had come yet refused to accept it gracefully. "Now...n-now I remember what _you_ are," he panted, one eye widening manically towards Crowa who inclined his head slightly. "Yeah...ears...and tail...you—why didn't I see it earlier? You're from that backwards country of Moon-X, aren't cha?"

Crowa's eyes flew back. "Back...backwards?"

"Of course you are," Mizuki continued with a chuckle, answering his own question. A glint of psychosis had settled into the chunin's eyes now. He was rambling purely for rambling's sake. "Yes...yes, the hybrids—humans born of animals—always taboo...always worthless—"

To his left, without even looking, Naruto could feel Crowa's chakra beginning to spike in the worse way. In his younger years spikes like that were all too common except back then he had no way to accurately deal with it other than crawling up into a tightly-curled ball on the floor, trying to hide his tear-streaked face.

"Crowa." He barely whispered it, not taking his gaze from Mizuki. "_Calm down_. He's just trying to get you riled up to—"

"_And it's working_," Crowa ground out before his teammate could finish.

"Orochimaru-sama told me _alllll_ about you monstrosities," Mizuki continued in a jeering drawl. The color had long since left his arms leaving them as little more than lifeless, pale stumps that would never operate correctly again. "And your _queen_—"

Crowa's ears snapped up—

Naruto and Sakura both dove in unison—

"—is nothing but a mangy dog!"

"AGH!"

"AH!"

In the motion of leaping to restrain his partner, Naruto yelled out when Crowa rocketed forward just as they'd managed to get a grip on his arms; his launch dragged them along for the ride. A ride that ended in a dizzying fashion when they were both flung off.

Naruto's vision exploded in white flashes when his face struck the ground. Spitting, he looked up, rubbing dirt from his lashes; next to him and on her side, Sakura had a hand pressed to a gash on her forehead, a trophy from the fall—

"Son of a _bitch_," she groaned but Naruto didn't hear her past his own yelling.

"Crowa! _Crowa_! The mission said to take him ali—"

But Crowa heard nothing except a primal beep pounding in his eardrums. He saw nothing past the black rage shrouding his vision aside from Mizuki who stuck out with a bright red outline. He felt nothing except a fury that compelled him to drop down to all fours like the animal he resembled; he charged, his estinto footfalls barely causing a stir in the grass—

Like a ghost, Kakashi appeared before his rampaging student, arms crossed—

Blinking, Sasuke looked over, surprised to find no one at his side—

"Crowa, remember the mission," Kakashi whispered and even Naruto felt the deadening chill when he narrowed his only visible eye. "Remember your _team_."

On those words, Naruto suddenly hoisted himself on his elbow, flinging a kunai that vanished the moment he loosed it. The slim strip of metal easily caught up to the rampaging hybrid—an instant later it exploded into another Naruto, one that took only a second to realize it's surroundings, namely flying vertical to the ground, before it grabbed Crowa by a handful of his shirt.

"_Thank me later_," it whispered, mouthing the words of the original Naruto.

And then Crowa was flung, _high_. High enough to surpass Kakashi who only arched his head as the hybrid flew by overhead. No one could see it...but the copy-nin was smiling.

The Naruto clone vanished in the same fashion in which it appeared. Without missing a beat, Crowa landed just behind his sensei, tensed his haunches, and dove forward, his arms outstretched. Something akin to a dragon's roar, both beastly and terrifying, escaped Crowa's mouth yet it was Mizuki who drowned him out completely.

With laughter.

In the process of climbing to his knees, Naruto frowned at the noise. It sounded...victorious, like the fact that Crowa's sharpened nails tearing into his throat somehow meant he had won something. Even as blood spurted into the air, and with Sakura kneeling down beside him, Naruto watched unflinchingly as Mizuki went down laughing manically.

His body crumpled backwards. Hungrily, Crowa followed, slamming a knee into the chunin's chest while digging four fingers into a soft spot just under his chin. Scarlet liquid was flowing everywhere, gushing uncontrollably and Crowa's nostrils flared, accepting the coppery stench that accompanied it.

"You _dare_...you piece of _swine_—I—" Words tumbled out of Crowa's mouth in no particular order, his ability to form sentences muddled in fury. To make up for this, he dug his fingers in deeper, widening the gash in Mizuki's neck.

As pints of blood left him in a rabid fashion, Mizuki's earlier cackle had deteriorated into a haggard, shuddering gasp. The color was leaving his eyes...but still, they managed to find Crowa's. His pale lips jerked up in a smirk. "Th...th-thanks...m-mutt…."

And the light left Mizuki's face forever, his eyes rollings upward until only the milky white showed.

Even in his rage, Crowa had not fully lost himself and was struck with a strange sense of befuddlement as he slowly wrenched his fingers from their bloody crevasse.

Suddenly, every eye was drawn to Kakashi, who had not moved a single muscle; yet he lifted a hand into the air.

His thumb was down.

"Mission...failed."

**XXX**


	17. Reporting In

Chapter XVII: Reporting In

**XX**

Mizuki's body was buried.

A prayer was said for even though he had lost himself to the darkness, he was still a Konoha ninja at heart.

The trip back to the village was considerably more lax; there was no rush to return, to get home, or to celebrate. And why would there be? The mission had been a failure. Their very first mission as a newly instated squad...botched expertly.

It was the second day of traveling, the sun had already fallen, and very little had been spoken between the team except for perhaps a few 'thanks' whenever they were assisted, or the obligatory 'time to get up' and 'time to settle down'. The atmosphere was oddly...distorted, like a rift had been born and no one seemed all to eager to figure out what it—

"How does your Queen handle failure?" Crowa suddenly voiced, solely focusing on unlatching his sleeping bag. Night had fallen not more than two hours and, after finding both their belongings and a small clearing, they decided it best to camp one final time, if only to reserve energy.

Standing over Naruto, watching as the blonde struggled to undue a knot in his bag, Sasuke snickered. "Queen…."

Kakashi had not brought a sleeping bag. He sat with his back to a rather large oak tree, book in hand, his eye moving quite rapidly over the pages. "She's not our queen, Crowa. She is our leader, our Hokage," he responded evenly.

Crowa shrugged. "Queen, leader, Hokage—same principles when examined. What does she do to failures?"

A small grin made it's way onto Naruto's face as he worked the knot with his teeth. "She takes them down to the Konoha stockades and whips them for a predetermined time based on the severity of their crime," he said, sounding more believable than he thought he could.

While Sakura snorted, already in her sleeping bag and on her stomach, Crowa paused for only a moment, looking contemplative.

"A whipping? That's all?" He chuckled, sighing. "That's pleasing to hear, actually. Seems she's far more tender than my previous Queen."

Now Naruto and Sakura were laughing out loud, slapping a hand to their mouths in an effort to stifle the noise. Sasuke was shaking his head, chuckling, while Kakashi merely tilted his book back aways, giving Crowa an almost pitying glance.

"That was a joke, Crowa," he explained, and it only served to make Naruto and Sakura laugh harder when the hybrid tensed with fear, obviously dreading that worse was coming. Kakashi sighed, lifting his book again. "Our punishment for this botched mission will be nothing more than a failed mark upon our records, a brief scolding for you three, and a two-hour long verbal diatribe for me."

Now Crowa's shoulders relaxed and he shot Naruto a sideways glare, one that lasted only a few seconds before he grinned, his elongated eyeteeth inching from under his top lip. "So...we here in Konoha have jokes. Alright then." And he spoke no more, rolling out his mat and settling into it.

Being a spirit and needing no sleeping bag, Sasuke merely watched as his old team readied themselves for the night. Kakashi had first watch but where Sasuke was concerned, all the watches were his. After four hours had ticked by at a snails pace, Naruto was standing, his left shoulder propped up against tree, scanning the forest diligently with ocular enhancements blessed to him by the fox.

His ears jerked at a sudden noise behind him and he uttered without looking, "Go rest, Sasuke."

When the person behind him slipped a giggle, Naruto glanced over his shoulder. What he saw wasn't the Uchiha. A spasm of premeditated pain lanced just under his temple at the sight and he faced forward again, resolute and firm.

"You are _not_ here," he hissed through pursed lips.

"Oh really now. If what you say is true then what's this sensation?" and before Naruto could respond, he felt something warm and slick trail its way up the side of his neck, flicking off just under his jawline.

It was uncontrollable, the blush that flared up in the blonde's cheeks, so bright red it could be seen as a beacon in the gloom. He refused to move, despite the tingles running from his neck to the tip of his head, and steeled himself, choosing the path of ignorance. Surely if he ignored the problem then—

That purple-haired kunoichi, the bane of his mental state, came waltzing into his line of sight, twirling elegantly on her feet to face him. She was smiling. He gave her a frown in return. "You can't ignore reality, kitten." She leaned in close, planting a hand on the tree just above his head. "I seem to recall you asking for my assistance concerning tracking down Orochimaru."

In the middle of wiping spittle from his skin with a disgusted look, Naruto froze, his cerulean eyes slowly finding her own. His brain put two and two together most efficiently and he blurted out, "But...we...the mission was a failure."

The grin that spread over Anko's face was born of his confusion, the cuteness presented to her, while Naruto thought it a signal to mean she was seconds from doing something painful.

"Failure in some ways, a success in others. And lucky for you, you succeeded in the area that counted most."

The distance between the two shinobi lessened as she drew closer. Naruto responded automatically by pressing his back up against the tree. A third of his concentration lay on the hand that wasn't above his head, the other third was for her face, watching for any telltale signs, and the final third went to his surroundings. He would be damned if he was snuck like last time due to his negligence, though he heavily doubted the prospect of another attack seeing as Mizuki had been dealt with.

Still, his heart skipped a beat at the word 'succeed' and focus began slipping.

"I don't understand," he began, forgetting his apprehension in leu of knowledge. The tightness around his body, the shield he'd put up against her, fell away and he unconsciously stepped forward. "How did we succeed?"

His sudden eagerness was a slight joy to Anko who put a finger to his forehead pushing him back against the tree. "The mission was a failure indeed...but the teamwork was the only juncture I was concerned about. I witnessed a lot of shoddy actions out there, late movements and reactions that would most assuredly get you killed while facing Orochimaru." The excitement in Naruto's eyes began to dull with shocking force. "But...you stuck by your teammate, even at the cost of the mission and without worry of the shame to follow. While Tsunade will no doubt verbally beat you into the ground when you return, in my eyes, that constitutes as the biggest lesson an aspiring shinobi can learn. A cell without teamwork is only three caskets looking to be filled, four if their leader is just as dense. Count your stars you've Kakashi."

And now Naruto was grinning, shakily so. His entire body had been racked with shivers that had nothing to do with the night; it was pleasantly warm actually. The last time he had been so blessed to fail and still succeed was during Kakashi's bell test. That old feeling, the one of exuberance, relief, and astonishment, was coming back full force.

Impulsively, he threw his arms around Anko, yelping when he went right through her, experiencing something like stepping through a layer of lukewarm water, and crashed to the hard ground.

Anko turned around. She was smiling as Naruto snorted a caterpillar from his nose. "Have you forgotten I'm in your head that fast?"

"But—_blegh..._ugh, gross…." When the caterpillar refused to budge, Naruto was forced to pull it out, trembling with disgust as he felt those squirming legs try to latch onto the inner walls of his nose. It tickled just as much as it nauseated him. He flung it far into the distance, turning around. "But then how can you touch—"

There was no one there.

Naruto stared. And stared. Scratched his head. Then he sighed.

"I'm going crazy…."

XXX

Naruto watched as Kakashi placed a vanilla folder down on Tsunade's desk. He bowed slightly, then took three steps back. Tsunade's eyes found the folder, widening somewhat at the word 'Failed' stamped over the front in red ink. At first, there were no words from her so Naruto stood next to his sensei with his teammates in an uncomfortable silence.

Silence.

More silence.

Naruto was almost certain everyone could hear the intensity of his heartbeat. They had to. It was all he himself could hear, even when Tsunade's lips began to move.

"...by this tell-all 'fail' on the front that the mission did not go as planned?"

Hands clasped behind his back, Kakashi shook his head.

Tsunade's eyes flickered from him then to Naruto where they rested, possibly delighting in how he instantly jumped like a frightened deer, before returning to the Jonin. "Explanation?"

"We found target Mizuki in the given direction, except he was flanked by more than forty other escapees, a little more than we were previously informed of," sniffed Kakashi somewhat stiffly, "but nothing not expected."

"Of coursed," agreed Tsunade just as crisply.

"After cornering the target by the docks on the outer edges of Konoha forest, he put up a struggle and lost his life."

And Kakashi left it at that. The plain and simple.

Naruto had to wonder how Kakashi did not simply melt under the gaze of flaming wrath Tsunade sent his way. She leaned forward on her elbows, interlacing her fingers and staring over them. Then, quite suddenly, she was looking at Naruto.

He jumped, mentally kicking himself.

"And which of you three was it?" she queried, moving from him, to Sakura, then Crowa.

Crowa had only opened his mouth when Sakura, in a move that left Naruto, Crowa, and Sasuke staring in shock, stepped forward. "It was all three of us, Tsunade-dono." Her voice was clear, even, not a shred of hesitance to be heard.

No hesitance.

In unison, Naruto and Crowa matched her gait, standing on either side, and proclaimed, "It was all three of us."

XXX

"Now tell me what really happened," Tsunade ordered.

The three genin, including the tagalong spirit, had been dismissed after receiving the exact 'talk' of mission importance they knew was coming their way leaving only the mentioned Jonin and Tsunade within the Hokage's chambers. Just out the window, the sun was beginning to set and for a time, Kakashi watched it in silence as he stood, hands comfortably within his pockets, posture lax.

"What they told you is essentially all that happened," he said shortly.

Tsunade blinked. She had only been joking when she spoke of Naruto, Crowa, and Sakura putting down Mizuki. Could it be that they really…? "You're kidding me."

Kakashi shook his head. "We cornered him, like I said, and then I stood back, wanting to see how well they would implement teamwork. Suffice it to say, their tactics and executions were impressive. Well...impressive enough to take down one extremely stressed Chunin anyway."

Now Tsunade sat back in her armchair, still bewildered. Her eyes fell to the vanilla folder. "Better question: who delivered the killing blow?"

"Crowa," Kakashi answered.

Hearing that did nothing to surprise Tsunade. She continued to lean back in her chair, eyes trained on her Jonin. "I see. Was it a simple 'just because I can' kill or was it rage-fueled?"

Kakashi's little orange book was suddenly in the open and up to his face. "As the one who picked Crowa to come to Konoha for this Moon-X intermingling trail basis you no doubt performed a very thorough background check, Tsunade-dono, looking for any abnormalities, mental issues, or behavioral problems." He glanced over his book. "Does Crowa _seem_ the type to strike without reason?"

A little smile tugged at the corner of Tsunade's mouth. "You know as well as I do, Kakashi, that reports can be doctored, altered to give different results depending on the situation. Based on the dossier given to me by Queen Nonohime and nothing else, no...he doesn't seem the type to take a life so casually." A pause, then, "So tell me, what pushed him?"

"What usually pushes one raised on the type of strict standards and customs such as Crowa. Speaking ill of his queen."

To this, Tsunade nodded. "Well, that was obvious."

"As obvious as this next question. I understand the mission was a failure but does it carry any further implications? Crowa is a shinobi under Konoha rule but the fact that he killed Mizuki—" Kakashi started questioningly, but Tsunade cut him off with a mere shake of her head.

"When accepting a mission of that kind...death of the target is at least seventy-five percent, call it ninety-three percent should the pursuers have personal complications with the target." And now Tsunade looked pleasant, almost as if receiving good news. "Has he referred to me as such, yet?"

"As what?"

"Queen."

Kakashi blinked over his book, still for a moment before looking back down. "He has."

"Hm. People of the village of Moon-X are very proud of their Queen, the very thought of calling a figure by such a high title is very likely punishable by death if I remember their doctrine right." Her eyes founded Kakashi; he was staring at her, his attention sideswiped. "If he addresses me as such then it means he's sworn an oath to me with his heart...which is exactly what I needed to see happen."

Knowing the following conversation would be somewhat important as it concerned his student, Kakashi snapped his book closed and slipped it into his back pocket. "I'm going to assume this has some other meaning outside of just allegiance."

"You'd be right," agreed Tsunade, and her head inclined somewhat, incasing a majority of her porcelain face in a menacing shadow; he eyes were nothing but slits trained upon her Jonin as though waiting for movement to strike. "I may be getting up in there age but I am far from the term 'senile'. Obtaining Crowa's acknowledgment of 'Queen' means any request I ask, he would try to the fullest of his abilities to complete. No forethought, no explanations needed—just simple compliance."

"Any request," Kakashi repeated absentmindedly. "That...carries a lot of possibilities...and not caring for the reason behind the request? Cutting off all emotion and thought of right and wrong? A deadly weapon, indeed."

Tsunade nodded. "When approached with the idea of this country-intermingling, the choice of Crowa was a very odd one and so I asked the Queen to explain his situation to me."

In the span of perhaps two second, Kakashi reached into the inner recesses of his bright mind, sifting and flipping expertly until finding the memory that held the information of Crowa's dossier in its entirety. He had only parted his lips when the door to the office opened—

"Tsunade-sama! What on earth are you doing!" She bustled into the room carrying a thick folder, brandishing it quite easily like it was a single sheet. Her incensed eyes flew from Tsunade to Kakashi, then back again. "You were supposed to be done with this over and _hour_ ago—you've got three Daimyo's waiting on you, and their contribution to the village is needed if we're going to—"

"Crowa has accepted me as his queen, Shizuki," said Tsunade calmly.

That statement seemed to have a physical affect on Shikuzi for she froze mid-stride, her lips floundering.

Tsunade smiled, lifting her head from the shadows.

Shizuki regained herself with a sharp inhale, marching up to Tsunade's desk and dropping the folder as though it were an annoyance rather than the important item it was. "He...he _did_?" she gasped, and when Tsunade nodded, Shizuki put a hand to her chin, ignoring her Tonton who had come strolling in after her. "That was fast—but good! We—" And there she paused, turning to Kakashi. The Jonin had been standing there in silence, watching the events play out before him with a relaxed expression, clearly fine with waiting. "He only read the file you gave him, didn't he?"

"Only that," answered Tsunade.

Shizuki nodded, bent down, scoped up Tonton, and made for the door again. "Alright, catch him up while I go and find a way to stall these people!" she called anxiously, walking out and slamming the door closed behind her.

Still looking as passive as ever, Kakashi stared at the entryway. "Well," he began, facing forward, "she certainly seemed excited."

"And so she should be."

In two short stride, Kakashi was just before the main desk, staring down at Tsunade with all the intensity of a ravenous wolf yet his face remained emotionless. "From her rush of words, I'm gathering the information I received on _my_ student was either false or not the full story. This...you will correct, Tsunade-dono."

And he left it at that though it was all to clear what was left hanging at the end of his directive.

"Certainly," Tsunade obliged, meeting his gaze with a cheerful smile. "What you received was indeed correct just not everything."

"I'm sure there are reasons behind it but doing such a thing was deathly dangerous," said Kakashi evenly. "He was under my control—as his cell leader I'm to know everything the person handing him down to me knows so I can prepare appropriate missions and training sessions, as well as know what sets him off and calms him down. Leaving out information even in its slightest form could have very well cost us something."

It was clear that Kakashi was more than a little miffed and Tsunade could understand completely, given his background on the subject.

"Initially, Crowa was going to just be given a three week trial basis in which time if he had not come to acknowledge me as his Queen then he was to be sent back, but now that bridge has been crossed. The information I'm about to share with you was never written down; only passed down through word of mouth, Kakashi."

"Then continue passing."

"I shall." Tsunade paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts, then opened her mouth. "Crowa's parents were enlisted by their previous generations ruler to keep the peace between their clans as rumors were buzzing around the entire village, rumors that the Fox clan, Crowa's own clan, was planning a coup that would give them indefinite rule of Moon-X. Unfortunately...Crowa's parents were the spearheads for the coup."

Kakashi whistled, his eyebrows shooting up before falling. "Damn."

"It doesn't end there. There were direct descendants of that current ruler, the Nine Tails itself."

Hearing this had about the same effect on Kakashi as Tsunade thought it would. The Jonin reached up, face-palming himself with a slight shake of his head.

"I've known of Naruto's predicament, being the Nine-Tails container...but I never thought that that _beast_ would have actually...that it could rule anything. I can't imagine it," uttered Kakashi, that memory from over a decade ago returning full force.

He could see it…

That colossal snarling beast towering over mountains, those thrashing tails that could stir the very heavens with a single flick, the thirst for bloodshed that cloaked the entire village in its strangling embrace….

A single drop of sweat dripped from under Kakashi's hairline, sliding down his cheek.

"I can't accept that, Tsunade-dono," he stated. "That monster was half the size of the village, possibly more, and it did _not_ come with words of bearing—it didn't come with words at all—"

Tsunade interrupted. "What are your thoughts on humans and madness, Kakashi? Given your life, your insight should be interesting, and answering this will give you a greater understanding of what follows."

"Contrary to a seemingly popular belief, my thoughts are just about the same as anyone else's." Kakashi shifted slightly. "To exist as a human is to experience varying degrees of madness based on the rules imposed on you by society or a need to try and rise above and prove something to yourself or another. Simply existing is maddening, downright traumatic depending on your situation, but this is nothing anyone with half a brain does not know. Life as a ninja is by itself maddening, always knowing you stand but a pairs breadth away from being pushed over the threshold of life—then again...others love that chilling embrace," he finished cryptically, the visage of a certain purple-haired kunoichi sneaking to the forefront of his thought process.

He decided to drop the subject there, fixing Tsunade with a stare that clearly blared he was done with their current conversation.

"Then what I have to say next is very much critical to the entire reason little Crowa is here, and I trust it goes without saying that if a single word uttered here is heard elsewhere, regardless of by whom or for what reason, I will not hesitate to have you killed, yes?"

And it was at this point, Tsunade smiled up at her Jonin who stared back passively. Her words were deathly earnest, every syllable spoken a verbal promise, yet it did nothing to rustle Kakashi outside of nodding once to show he understood. They both knew that in this world of shinobi, the only thing more deadly than showing your face was dropping information. Even a single word could have dire consequences, death being the least of which.

A pause.

Tsunade opened her mouth. "I've had the honor of meeting the Nine-Tailed beast once or twice in my life, before the madness took hold of him—"

Even though a mask and a hiate-ate headband covered a good majority of his face, even Tsunade could make out the initial shock that presented itself in that single visible eye; it spoke of his heart catching, the sudden bolt that ran down his spine—

"You...Tsunade-dono, you've met that _beast_?" His voice was but a hushed whisper, as though speaking it properly would end his life.

Tsunade let slip a girlish giggle that made her seem the age she actually looked. "Beast was hardly for him back then—he was a Transcendent, a being that had quite literally escaped the grasp of time. He...in the beginning he was nothing of the monstrous visage presented to everyone the day he attacked Konoha; the term 'beast' was as far away from him as could be, replaced by elegance, a chakra that bred _regality_. He ruled Moon-X for many millennia, provided strength to all who needed it, always had an ear ready to listen, and possessed hands that could deal with any problem that arose whether it be clan disputes or other neighboring countries waging war out of blind prejudice."

Tsunade expected the copy-nin of lore to rebuke her claims, to say she's flipped her lid in old age, but was slightly taken aback when Kakashi put a hand to his chin. He was I thought about some—

"And what caused this change within the Nine-Tails? The demon I witnessed that night was everything except how you described it."

"I asked you your opinion on humans and madness for this very reason, Kakashi. That madness can also infiltrate animals, hybrids and the like, and in the case of their instincts, it can hit them _harder_ than it ever would us, and more often than not yield more devastating results. The man who was once humble, upright...had been turned into a frothing demon over the course of a single night. After I became Hokage, Nonohime sent word about this inter-country switching and wanted Crowa to move here so that he could be protected, saved from the madness that's no doubt percolating within him. He's very much aware of his parents doing, and how much the other clans now despise not only him by the entire Fox clan lineage…."

Tsunade looked up at her Jonin. "I trust you've seen glimpses…?"

To her inquiry, Kakashi was thrown back in his memory to seconds before Crowa leapt on top of Mizuki, taking him down forcefully, meaningfully.

He nodded. "It was like watching a mini Zabuza. There was no forethought whatsoever—just an insatiable pull to kill whatever had disturbed him. Or rather, what had insulted him…."

"Then you will do you best as his cell leader to curb that side of his using all within your power," stated Tsunade.

Kakashi nodded, spinning on his heels after catching the 'you're dismissed' undercurrent to her words.

Their talk was over and he had his latest assignment. Nothing else needed to be said, and all that had been heard, Kakashi would take back to his quarters, pop open a fresh bottle of sake that he kept hidden underneath a floorboard in his room, and pick through it bit by bit as he drowned out the taxing implications that came with his new charge.

"Once again...I feel like I'm being bullied," he added comically, opening the door.

A teasing giggle from behind was his reply and Kakashi walked out.


	18. Why We Fight

Future Plans

A/N: Rough patches abound. I apologize for the later than usual updates.

Chapter XVIII: Why We Fight

**XXX**

**Three Days Later**

"Oh, this...this right here promises to be nothing but troublesome. Bet on it."

"And what makes you say that, Shika? I mean, y'know, despite your obviously hereditary tick of thinkin' everything is troublesome?"

"Do you have to ask? I mean, really, do you? Look at where we are, at who's been _gathered_…."

Doing as the shadow-nin sarcastically requested, Kiba took a sweeping glance around the waiting area that he, along with Shikamaru, Chouji, and Neji, were currently seated at as they awaited their turn. It had been a couple of days since they'd last seen or heard from Naruto and, by proxy, his plan to bring back Sasuke Uchiha, but even the Inuzuka could see that that was the reason behind their rather abrupt summons.

Imagine his surprise when earlier that morning he'd been feeding the animals of his clan when a bear-masked member of Anbu appeared, seemingly out of thin air to inform him the Hokage required his presence. Naturally, Kiba was left with no other option than to journey with the Anbu to the Hokage's tower where it all became clear when he spotted the others.

"For once, yeah...I think I agree with you," he nodded, frowning somewhat.

The four genin were seated side-by-side on a lengthy couch, each of them with their gaze rested nervously upon the grand double-doors that led down the hallway to the Hokage's chambers. The last person called in had been Shizune, and that was hours ago.

"Wait," began Kiba solemnly, "you don't think something, like..._happened_ to Naruto, do ya?"

"In what manner of 'happened' are you referring to, Inuzuka?" asked Neji, clearly the most relaxed of the group, his trademark leer of annoyance in full effect. Today had been a highly anticipated sparring day for his cousin Hinata, who had been pushing herself through endless practice drills to match his power, a change that was no doubt brought on when she caught sight of just how much Naruto was pushing himself around the village, training wherever possible. "Do you mean to say that by 'happened', he's died, changed his mind concerning the Uchiha's revival, or…what? Be clear."

Sidetracked from heaving a troubled sigh, Shikamaru looked past Chouji, who was tearing into a bag of chips, and frowned at Neji. "You threw that second option in there just to add another slash to the troublesome side, didn't you?"

While Kiba scratched behind his head, now confused, Neji parted his right eye in a slitted stare. "In your words, Nara, this whole thing is already troublesome so why not say what needs to be said when it needs saying? Pussyfooting the issues can only lead to self-destruction of this entire plan."

Nodding, Shikamaru flicked a latch on the front of his Chunin vest and a miniature scroll fell out, one that he caught between his thumb and index finger and lifted for them to see. "And be that as it may, we can pretty much nix all mental and verbal thoughts of treason or cowardice in the way of backing out thanks to this little jutsu. Remember what I said earlier? The moment we signed our names in _blood_ we were born into a pact and whosoever is foolish enough to break it...well, we can consider them and this whole operation debunked."

As Shikamaru replaced the scroll in its holder, Kiba lifted a finger, pointing at nothing in particular. "Okay, hold on, I can see that particular snitch being kicked out of the loop, but why is the _whole_ sting killed?"

"Because a jutsu of that caliber no doubt has the drawback of leaving behind prints on the body it makes quick work of," supplied Neji, now sighing with irritation at the constant crunching echoing from the heavier genin next to him. "The traitor killed by that jutsu would have markings left on their corpse, markings that would lead back to the Nara, who, along with us, would be called in for questioning and subsequently punished, withheld, or killed. Depending," he added casually.

While a delicate shade of green overcame Kiba's face, Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah, pretty much that in a nutsh—"

The grand double-doors opened and silence fell not only from the genin but from nearly every civilian and ninja occupying the waiting area. The sudden shift in atmosphere was almost comical yet no one could laugh as Shizune stood in the entryway, her eyes finding the four genin quite easily. She stood aside, sweeping one arm down the hall.

"The Hokage...will see you now," and her somber tone brook no other feeling than utter dread, which was well-received by even Neji, who traded his scowl for a hollow stare.

As one they stood, resigned, and marched in tandem towards the doorway, only pausing once to nod at Shizune before entering. She didn't follow and instead closed the doors after them with a piercing '_click_'. The moment she did, the interior took a drastic nosedive into chilling temperatures as even Chouji felt the change in chakra….

Heaving a troubled sigh, Shikamaru shoved his hands into his pockets and, as old feelings of being their former captain crawled over his shoulder, he led the way forward, the others following close behind.

"Well, look at it this way," began Kiba meekly, "at least we know that whatever's on the opposite end of that door"—he nodded ahead of them—"it won't be trying to kill us."

"Are you so sure?" Neji questioned, and his hand subconsciously fell down to the kunai holster on his right thigh. "In a land of shinobi and uncertainty...I'd say walking through a door unawares is the _best_ way to lose ones life. And that's not me trying to be Mr. Doom and Gloom as that blonde idiot calls me—that's just fact."

"I feel kinda nauseous…," Chouji admitted, one hand to his stomach.

Kiba gripped his face with a look of mock-horror. "Chouji with a stomach ache? Oh hell no, about-face, ya'll. This shit is _too_ deep for us to handle."

Regardless of the stifling atmosphere not even Neji could resist offering up a smirk at the Inuzuka's joke where everyone else openly sniggered. Their laughter carried them down the rest of the hallway until they stood at the door. Shikamaru smirked as he knocked twice.

From the other side came a short, "Enter," and Shikamaru pushed the door open, the sudden clash of chakras nearly blowing him off his feet mentally while physically his expression morphed into one of mild shock.

Peeking over the shadow-nin's shoulder, Kiba let loose a whistle. "So I was right, then. This _is_ too deep for us to handle…."

Within the Hokage's spacious chambers was, of course, Tsunade herself, seated behind her mahogany bureau and leering at them over her joined hands; a number of imposing figures were crowded around the front of her desk, all of whom turned to face their visitors the moment the door opened. The overseers of the young shinobi were present: Shikamaru and Chouji's parents, Kiba's beast-like mother and sister along with their canine companions, and Neji's uncle Hiashi, all of them regarding their charges with mixed looks of bafflement and exasperation.

Shikamaru's gaze instantly bypassed the vexation adorning his mother's face and found his father who observed his offspring with passionless eyes. "So," he uttered, "it's come to _this_ card, has it?"

"Come again, young'n?" asked Tsume, her nostrils flaring almost threateningly.

"N-nothin', mom," answered the smaller Inuzuka without pause, and he kept his eyes respectfully below hers.

Chouji reached up, grabbing the end of his hitae-ate and pulled it down with a nervous display of foot shuffling. He gave no other indication to even citing his parents besides a short nod.

As house rules dictated, Neji dropped down to one knee, fist to the ground and head lowered. "Hiashi-sama."

Even though disgust lined every inch of the revered Hyuuga's face, Hiashi replied rather crisply, "Stand."

And Neji did.

"Now...I trust you all know one another, yes?" Tsunade questioned unnecessarily, her eyes sweeping from the genin to the elite. Maybe it was meant to be a joke, a way of lessening the tension hanging thick in the air… Either way, it didn't work and given the obvious subject matter there was going to be very few laughs about it, if any. Lowering her hands to her desk, Tsunade held Shikamaru in her gaze yet spoke to all of them. "As we're all fairly intelligent individuals, let me just cut straight to the chase and say that whatever plan you genin have brewing along with Naruto...it'd be best to drop it."

At first, kids and parents only regarded one another with varying levels of defiance and scorn until Kiba broke his mother's stare and turned to the Hokage. "Um. No?" Almost before he could finish, Tsume growled; it was a deep rumbling that echoed up from her throat and he twitched, correcting himself, "I—I mean, no, _ma'am_, Hokage-dono!"

It was as if Kiba had not spoken at all by the way Tsunade continued, unperturbed. "When I put Shikamaru in charge of bringing back one Sasuke Uchiha and gave him carte blanche to pick his own teammates...I assumed he would pick some of our strongest, some of our _brightest_ genin—"

While Chouji hunched his shoulders almost instinctually, Shikamaru took a bracing step forward, the blank look over his face lowering into a frown. "Tsunade-dono, you don't need to—"

"—but then I realized with a pang of shame that none of the genin of Konohagakure are stronger nor brighter than the other, that each carries their own weight in different circumstances and are valued in different scenarios. The team Shikamaru brought together _was_ the best in their own right, a collaboration of vastly different talents that would compliment one another well if things turned to shit. And things did indeed turn to shit out there, make no mistake."

A disturbed sigh passed the Hokage's lips and, more instinctually than anything else, all four of the present genin took an inquisitive step forward. Hiashi lifted a hand, halting not only Neji but Shikamaru, Chouji, and Kiba as well. Tsunade offered them a wry smile.

"I am fine, just...troubled. Troubled that: one, I let a handful of genin handle a retrieval mission better suited for my Jonin or Anbu, and two, that thanks to my piss-poor handling of said mission, one of our shinobi is at rest...and now I have _five_ more just as ready to join him!" she suddenly yelled.

_Here it comes_, was the only thought that perforated Shikamaru's mind and he jammed his hands in his pockets, his body adopting the posture of someone who was about to slog their way through a blizzard.

"What in the _hell_ are you five thinking?" Tsunade roared and this time, even the clan heads around her quivered somewhat. "Planning to bring back the dead, to track down Orochimaru himself, _adhering to a plan of Naruto's_?" The way she put following Naruto as bottom-of-the-barrel was almost comical, like that was so much worse than hunting a famed defector of Konoha. But then again...when the stakes were _that_ high maybe it was. "I may not know much but I can be _damned_ certain that the curriculum of the Konoha training academy doesn't specialize in pandering to its students with childish fantasies!"

The moment Chouji opened his mouth, Neji preempted him, extending an arm across the rotund genin's chest before saying, "Well, with all due respect, Tsunade-dono, I haven't been at the academy for over a year so like you, I've no clue what they're teaching but you have to admit whatever it is must be up to snuff if a single pre-genin could pull off pranks that more often than not left half the village in disarray."

"Yeah, ain't it?" joined Kiba when Tsunade did a double-take. "I mean...if we were following anyone else _but_ that guy I don't think I'd feel at all safe. In fact, I might think this plan were downright stupid!"

"More like troublesome, really," Shikamaru agreed, rubbing behind his neck, "how one genin can come up with a plan so outrageously suicidal and still manage to generate a sense of hope, of _camaraderie_ amongst his peers." He fixed Tsunade with a blasé stare. "It just sounds kooky...doesn't it?"

"I see...much like Naruto, you all think this is a game," said Tsunade. "And I suppose I can't fault you for that. Your only saving grace is your childish mentality, believing that a plan so outlandish as the one only Naruto himself could devise would somehow turn out okay—"

"Beg pardon, Tsunado-dono," interrupted Shikamaru with as much respect as he could muster, "but you speak of our childish mentality when one by one I was forced to leave my teammates behind so that we might complete our mission—and not even forced. I _entrusted_ them to hold the enemy back and give us time to catch up to our target."

"And we did," spoke Chouji, his voice brittle at first until rising with, "we did at the cost of our lives! Sasuke was a Konoha shinobi, and we...we were willing to risk everything to bring him back!"

Baring his own fangs, Kiba met his mother's fierce gaze without a shred of hesitancy, his inbred fear bulldozed by Chouji's fortifying words. "We gave it our best shot, y'know?" He indicated to a point just to the right of his abs. "I was willing to _kill_ myself if it meant stopping the enemy! That's… I… That's how..._badly_ we wanted to save Sasuke."

And somehow, speaking it brought the severity of the situation to the forefront. It had been a mission assigned to them, yeah, but still...to be willing to go _that_ far for someone you barely knew outside of a few chitchats in the classroom, a few stiff waves in the hallways—

"And all of it for nothing," Shikamaru finished with a sour twinge of regret. "We failed. Pointblank. Risked our lives, broke bones, shed pints of blood for basically nothing." He hunched a shoulder, one of the hands in his pockets clenching subconsciously, painfully. "So in the end...they"—and he jerked his head at the three besides him—"get a big ol' shiny red 'F' on their permanent record and I get tripped right out the starting gate of being a Chunin squad leader. Perfect end to a shit-tastic beginning, pardon my language," he added with a curt inclination of his head.

"But that's not why we're choosing to keep this going," continued Neji, and his hauntingly opaque eyes moved from clan head to Hokage. "Call us arrogant for refusing to accept a loss gracefully. Call us childish for wanting to bring back a comrade who's been killed. Call us damned foolish for _believing_ we can do such a thing, even through the help of one like Orochimaru…." He paused, joining his hands together formally as if in prayer. "And while you're calling us all of that and more, you can also call us _gone_. Take care and have a good day."

Kiba sniggered behind a hand. "Choice."

Without another word, the young Hyuuga turned on the spot, the very movement a sign of his elegant fighting style, and took the doorknob, only managing to pull it partly open when there came a great shout from behind:

"NEJI!"

"Yes? Hiashi-sama?"

Before more could be spoken there came an excited 'YIP!'; something small and white had scurried into the room and up to Kiba who eagerly dropped to his knees. "Akamaru! Boy, I thought you'd gotten lost in the bathroom!" he exclaimed, picking up his companion and nuzzling their cheeks together. While the rest of the room stared at the pair, Kiba's mother and sister facepalming themselves, Kiba listened with an unreal concentration as Akamaru gestured with his forearms and barked animatedly. "They wouldn't let you in…? Why—_what_?You had to _bite_ Shizune on the—?"

Hiashi waved a silencing hand at Kiba and roared, "Remember your place, Neji! I'd like to think I've been fairer to you since the last Chunin exams...but now it's quite apparent I've been_ too _lenient, and maybe that's my mistake, but I must put my foot down. Do not go against the Hokage's wishes, nor against your own _clan_!"

Shikamaru saw the muscle bulge in Neji's temple before the younger Hyuuga slammed the door shut, the force behind it so palpable that the ground shuddered and the window behind Tsunade rattled.

"Anyone who can sacrifice themselves all for the sake of _my_ progression is… I think of them as my other clan. These five here today—yes, even the little mutt—have saved my life and I theirs. We are of one accord, we are ninja in arms, and...we _will_ bring the Uchiha boy back," he finalized, glancing over his shoulder with a glare aimed at no one but his revered uncle.

A noise like a mix between a wolf's howl and a bear's disturbed grunt rumbled from between Hiashi's pursed lips, an obvious internal struggle to keep from loosing the full power of his lungs within the small confines of the Hokage's chambers. His face reddened, hands clenched till the knuckles whitened; the vein that Neji popped earlier must have been passed down through the line because Hiashi was sporting a bigger one, one fit to burst.

"Y-you...you _insolent_… What would your father—"

"Say? What would he say?" Now Neji turned, his expression morosely blank. "I cannot speak for my father, Hiashi-sama, but his words might just echo mine considering the reason behind why _you're_ still with us…."

The fury evident in the older Hyuuga's face was blindsided with shock; Shikamaru would swear out the corner of his eye it looked as though Tsunade wanted to smirk, but her face was blank when he double-checked.

"I—_and what of you all_?" Hiashi bolstered, waving an arm at the other clan heads and parents. "Clearly my nephew has been infected with madness. Hopefully, seeing you set _your_ offspring straight will bring back his senses!"

Again, to Shikamaru's careful gaze, it looked as though Tsunade gave her eyes the swiftest of rolls yet, as before, her face was glazed when he focused on it. So content on catching another shift in her expression, Shikamaru didn't realize his father stood next to him until Shikkaku placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, giving it a steadying squeeze.

"Son, is this—" he started but then Yoshino shoved her husband off to the side and lifted a hand, prepared to possibly slap the face off her son.

"_Have you lost your ever-loving mind, boy_?" Her voice was pitched and full of rage; it put the fear in all four genin present, even Akamaru who slid down into his master's coat, whimpering in terror.

In the blink of an eye, her hand struck down—"You saying 'lost' implies I ever had it, you troublesome woman," the shadow-nin replied, rubbing behind his neck with a look of boredom. His mother froze mid-swing and he stretched up, placing his cheek in the warmth of her palm. "Loud and annoying though you are, you're an outstanding mom. You'll let me do this, as a man."

As the other parents moved towards their offspring, Shikkaku offered a gruff laugh at his frozen wife, her face twitching with what a stranger might misconstrue as annoyance but to him, he knew she was fighting tooth and nail not to hug her child to death. He once again patted his son on the shoulder. "As I was saying, are you sure this is what you really want, son? Should you pursue this path it might end terribly for you, for _all_ of you. You could wind up as missing nins, dead; consider for a moment that _we_, your parents, might be forced to hunt you down."

"All those outcomes we've discussed, kicked around, and deemed superfluous. We're going to do this, dad."

Next to them, Kiba and his mother were engaged in a series of harsh barks, an animalistic conversation of heated measure that his sister sometimes joined in with a few yelps of her own while their canine companions merely sat in silence, Akamaru staring almost pleadingly at the bigger wolf seated next to Kiba's mother. This 'debate' lasted for the better half of a minute before his mother sighed defeatedly, nipping her son on the ear.

"Stubborn brat…."

"Just like the one who raised me," he responded happily.

No words were spoken between Chouji and his parents. It only took a single glance into his sons pupils before Choza sported a merry smile and slung a thick arm over Chouji's neck. "Alright then, it's settled!" he boomed. "But! Before you invest anymore time into this suicidal mission, I want you all to gather at the Akimichi's for a good old fashioned barbecue! Nothing like a last meal of ribs to get your spirits ready to soar!"

"Good, er, choice of words there, dad," Chouji uttered with a twinge of dread.

Now Shikamaru was sure he saw right when Tsunade's hand fell away from her mouth. She looked as though clubbed with something blunt, her jaw falling open slightly.

"Enough of this madness!" Hiashi shouted and every eye found him. "I can see I was wrong to trust the other clan heads to see right"—Kiba had to grab onto his mother's wrist to stop her from stalking forward, a hostile movement that Hiashi missed—"but no matter. Neji! You will follow the orders of the main branch or suffer the consequences!"

"Hey!" Kiba suddenly growled, forgetting his place in an instant and stepping up past his mother. "You can't—"

But Neji snatched the Inuzuka back by the scruff of his hoodie, mentally smirking somewhat at his comrade's concern. "Honorable Uncle...there is no amount of pain you could inflict that would ever make me change my mind. If I must die...then I will die for what I believe in, I will die helping a friend. Besides," he added, tilting his head somewhat, "why are you bothering yourself with what a servant to the main branch does anyway? Lady Hinata should be your main concern. As nothing more than a pawn on your chess board it should be easy for you to toss me aside like all the others."

It was as if Neji's words were physical and had slapped Hiashi: the older Hyuuga's eyes intensified, one of his hands gripping Tsunade's desk like his legs might give out. "I...I can't—it's…."

"My reason exactly," continued Neji. "My father died to protect _you_—not the clan, but his brother, his family. I choose to help Naruto because I view him as younger brother that needs constant protection."

"Quoted for truth. That idiot wouldn't get two steps without us," Shikamaru said smirking.

For the first time since handing it over to the clan heads to speak, Tsunade parted her lips—but fell silent when the door to her office was seemingly kicked open with such force that Chouji had to dive forward or risk being struck. A moment later, Naruto strode through, a square bloodstained bandage over his cheek and a few smaller ones adorning his forearms.

"Eh, granny Hokage! First of all, got dang—Shizune looked _pissed_, kept yellin' 'bout some dog bitin' her or something, I dunno, but anyway, don't forget! You promised that you wouldn't tell the others about—" As though hitting an invisible wall, Naruto stopped in his tracks upon seeing the inhabitants of Tsunade's chambers, his eyes rolling from the genin to the clan heads. "Um...what's this now…?"

And suddenly, the atmosphere was breathable again. A sense of normalcy had returned and with it came a fond sense of warmth that eased tempers and minds all around. Shikamaru wasted no time in getting Naruto in a one-armed embrace.

"Don't you know it's polite to _knock_ first?" he asked, covering the sudden awkward silence.

Still shell-shocked by the gathering, Naruto stared around Shikamaru to Tsunade. "Yeah, yeah, whatever—what's going on here? Why's—"

Once again offering his uncle the slightest of bows, Neji turned as well, placing hands on Naruto's shoulders; using very little effort, as the fox-boy seemed beat not only mentally but physically as well, he spun him around and ushered him towards the door.

"Hokage-dono was just telling us how we've all become fairly famous across the lands, known as the Sasuke Retrieval Team, SRT for short," he explained and even Shikamaru had to admire that blatant lie. When Naruto looked on the verge of asking some follow-up questions, Neji talked over him. "Doesn't matter, Uzumaki. Let's go."

Smirking, Kiba stretched up on his toes to give his mother a 'farewell' lick upside the chin, one that she returned with another well-placed, motherly blow to the head; Chouji threw his arms around Choza in a warm hug before following his teammates as well. The five of them left Tsunade's chambers in a chorus of talking all the while Naruto continued to look befuddled until hunching a shoulder, deciding whatever it was really didn't matter so long as they were okay.

When the door closed behind them (Shikamaru offering those still remaining a two-fingered salute), Shikaku sighed, lifting a hand to scratch behind his neck. He faced the other clan heads. There was no need to voice his thoughts as it was clear they were thinking the same thing. "I swear, this generation of ninja...they're going to be a force to be feared."

"Or a force to be pitied," Hiashi offered with a heavy scowl.

Her left ear twitching, Tsunade glanced behind her out the window that gave her a glorious view of the village she would die to protect. Having not been around this type of chakra as much as she had, it wasn't surprising the others didn't feel it as well—though Kiba's mother was sniffing the air experimentally. A soft smirk touched her lips as she said, "I think...I'll agree with Shikaku-kun, Hiashi-san."

**XXX**

Directly outside the Hokage chambers window and just off to the side out of view was were a little hybrid sat, eavesdropping ever since the four genin were called into their meeting. His thoughts on the subject of reviving one Sasuke Uchiha were still the same and firmly rooted in the 'negative' but at least now he figured he had a good understanding of their thought process behind attempting such a ludicrous endeavor.

"Because of...friends," Crowa whispered into the wind. His gaze rolled up into the azure sky, thoughts muddled. "Friends. Rent...Yumi...Ban…."

**XXX**


	19. What Are Friends?

Future Plans

Chapter IXX: What Are Friends?

XXX

The concept of friends was not a foreign one to Crowa and yet, as the hybrid touched ground within the middle knot of Konoha after eavesdropping outside the Hokage's chamber, he still had trouble grasping the _full_ extent of it. Yes, the plan to revive Sasuke was both incredibly stupid and certainly suicidal given what it entailed…so why? Why go through with it?

He knew he wasn't a very good judge of character but from what he had witnessed in that room the one known as Neji Hyuuga possessed an abnormally high level of perception—something that was no doubt tied to his clans hereditary eye jutsu—and even _he_ was willing to lend a hand.

So was that it? Friendship was...blind? Had to be. It was the only reason that explained why five genin couldn't see that their 'resurrection' plan had no chance of success. To anyone with half a brain—hell, a fourth would do—it was quite obvious they were all suffering from survivor's grief and couldn't let the past go….

Crowa looked up, narrowing his eyes against the sun. It sat high in the sky sending out fiery orange waves of warmth. As he walked almost hypnotically out of the main market proper and towards the training grounds, Crowa's thoughts drifted back to life before being a second chance by his previous queen, Nonohime.

He'd had friends in those times as well. Moon X had it's fair share of seedy back alleyways where the trash was thrown, or, in their cases, 'the runts of the litter'. The hybrids born who showed no promising abilities or exceptional attributes to their clans animal were discarded without a word. Crowa would never forget the night he went to sleep warm and safe in his bed only to wake up in the gutters, his parents gone, his home taken, and his life destroyed.

No one had ever explained what happened but after spending a couple days with the other little hybrids that surrounded him, it became clear.

After losing his cap during that incident with Junkei—who shocked everyone in the village when he suddenly and mysteriously decided to just up and leave—Crowa chose to open out his hitae-ate and wear it like (that Jonin with the toothpick). It concealed his fox-like appendages and because the fabric was of a breathable silk his hearing didn't suffer as before. He tugged it down further, almost over his eyes in a rather childish attempt at hiding from past memories.

He managed to take ten more steps while half-blinded before his foot snagged on a tree root and he hit the ground on his chin, painful sparks of white exploding before his eyes. "Agh...shit…."

"Ha. Smooth move there, Crowa."

The ears underneath Crowa's hitae-ate twitched. That voice….

Hoisting himself onto one hand, the other clasped tightly to his aching jaw, Crowa looked up and saw that he had somehow tripped into a very familiar clearing, one that held a very large, black obelisk. The Konoha monument of fallen shinobi.

Standing before it and reading down the list of names carved into the stone was the specter known as Sasuke Uchiha, his fingers tracing over the engravings. "So. What brings you all the way out here?" he wondered softly.

At first, Crowa said nothing. He busied himself at first with adjusting his eyes to the almost blinding light that took shape of a young boy; it wasn't so much just a human-shaped blob anymore—as the days passed and the time spent with Sasuke increased, his form began to deepen. Little things like hair style and clothing were becoming more distinguishable.

"I was wandering," he finally answered, climbing to his feet. In a few steps he was at the Uchiha's side and glancing down at the unfamiliar names. "Isn't your grave far on the _other_ side of Konoha? I suppose I'm asking why you're here…."

"I...hm." Sasuke paused in thought, poking out what Crowa guessed was his bottom lip. "I really don't know to be honest. I sometimes find myself here regardless of whether or not I was _actually_ planning to be here. It's a sort of...pull?" He hunched a shoulder. "It's hard to explain."

"A pull to a marker honoring the dead. There's a correlation there. Maybe something's trying to give you a hint. Like 'it's time to go home' maybe," Crowa suggested, deciding to start things off lightly.

"If it were _that_ simple, I wouldn't be here now," replied Sasuke almost stonily, a slight return to his old attitude in motion. "You don't think I've tried? Tch, more times than I care to remember. I've tried flying—jumping even, to get the process started—and I've even tried walking through damn near every door in Konoha like it might be some sort of gateway, a portal to the _other side_. Nothing."

"Have you led a good life?"

"Beg pardon?"

"I asked if you've led a good life. Been noble, generous, all that sort."

"I'm thirteen."

"...and that makes a difference why again?"

"Good point," and Sasuke briefly closed his eyes as he retreated into his memories. After a moment, he reopened them with a small grin. "I wouldn't call myself the most kindhearted person ever...but I wouldn't call my lifestyle cruel either. I was just...me."

"It's possible that you're not meant to 'move on' in the normal way, then," Crowa stated and Sasuke's head snapped up. "In this world there exists good spirits and bad spirits. The good spirits...they _naturally_ move on. The bad ones...they hang around until they're exorcised into oblivion." He paused, side-glancing Sasuke to see if the Uchiha could tell where he was going with this. "Maybe you're not—"

"Maybe I'm not. And if I'm not, I'm fine with that," said Sasuke and he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. When Crowa glanced back only to see nothing in the vast green clearing, he lifted an eyebrow. "You can't see them, right?"

"See who?"

"There are other spirits besides me occupying Konoha," Sasuke explained and for some odd, unexplainable reason, he wished he had a cigarette. "And when I say 'other', I mean there are a shit-ton, possibly enough to match the living in terms of numbers. Just as Naruto can see me, you can too—but neither of you can see the _true_ spirits. I call them the True Spirits because they're the truly deceased. I've seen them perform feats that I should be able to perform given I'm technically one of them, but I can't. I don't know why I'm different from them, I don't know why I can't move on, and I don't really know why only you and Naruto can see me and not the True Spirits as well.

"I was so sure when Naruto struck me with his Rasengan he'd killed me, and maybe he did in a way. My body is underground; I visit it everyday just to check on it and see if I can't somehow slip inside it. It never works, but I've noticed it's not...decomposing. It only starts to rot whenever I force this new body of mine into it. That's another thing that confuses me…."

Crowa waited until Sasuke had fallen silent, seemingly lost to his thoughts, before saying, "Your death...was not natural."

"No kidding."

"But be that as it may, it was still an event brought on by your own actions, right?"

"Look. If you have something to say, _say it_."

"Alright, fine. Spare no words? I can do that like no other," said Crowa. "What you have those five so-called 'teammates' of yours ready to do is not only asinine and an affront to the afterlife, but incredibly selfish. But," he added loudly as Sasuke had just opened his mouth, "let's back up to the word 'teammate'. I call them _your_ teammates but you damn sure aren't theirs. You're dead. That's it—you lived what little life granted to you and it ended because of your own actions, which weren't too reputable to begin with from what I've heard. And now you've got five 'teammates' willing to go against not only their clans but their entire village in an attempt at bringing you back."

Crowa fixed Sasuke with a threatening glare. "You're going to get them killed and you know this. Orochimaru's name has spread to even Moon-X; I know what he's done, what he's wanted for, and now...well, that's the plan as far as I know. To track down that otherworldly Sannin and, through means I'm not even sure Naruto has nailed down yet, _force_ him to bring you back. Answer me honestly: _do you think that is wise_?"

Staring into his face, which was little more than a smooth surface with indents for supposed eyes, a bulge for the nose, and a horizontal line for the lips, Crowa had a hard time reading Sasuke's expression but the sudden drop in temperature was enough to tell him that the spirit was highly vexed.

"You sound like the Hokage." His tone was surprisingly calm and controlled, no doubt an after-effect of his heritage. "And I'll tell you the same as I told her. What Naruto's got cooking in what little brain he has...it's suicidal, it's stupid, it goes against everything that's just in the way of death...and it also has a _very_ high chance of success."

That last reason caused Crowa to blink. "A very high chance of… How is that again?"

Sasuke gave a low chuckle, returning attention back to the obelisk. "Having only just arrived in Konoha you have no clue the kind of person Naruto is. He...that guy can work something akin to miracles when he puts his mind to it. Trust me, Crowa, I know how much a foolish endeavor this is, it's something I openly spoke out against. But that look in Naruto's eyes—he'll do this even if he has to do it himself, and you know what? If anyone can find a way to bring me back, it'll be that guy. He can do it. He _will_ do it."

"How can you be so sure?"

"What, you weren't listening? Let me repeat it: _the guy can work miracles_. It's his ninja way."

The wind picked up in the clearing; the clouds above began to move lazily, the grass below swayed with rhythm, and Crowa noticed with a jolt that the clothes Sasuke wore rustled.

"Can you...feel that? The wind?" he asked.

"Not only can I feel it, I can _smell_ it. And it smells good, like food from the market," Sasuke answered, flaring his nostrils. "And why're you wearing your forehead protector like that? Hiding your ears again? And your tail's tucked in."

Crowa twitched. He really didn't have a reply lined up for that left-field observation. "Don't try to change the subject, please."

"I wasn't. As far as I'm concerned, _my_ subject is over. We're both agreed it's a ludicrous plan that will more than likely end with the deaths of my friends, yes, that's been established. But they're going to do it anyway, I can't stop them, _you_ can't stop them, and apparently, the Hokage must believe there's a slim chance of success or else she'd imply more drastic containment methods." Sasuke tilted his head and the way the line for his mouth arched spoke of a grin. "Subject over, yes?"

"...Yes," Crowa agreed and a bulge in his pocket came about when he squeezed his hand into a white-knuckled fist. Sasuke caught that in a heartbeat.

"Frustrating, isn't it? When everyone you know just keeps heading down the road of self-destruction no matter what you say or what truth you present to them," Sasuke muttered, his grin fading. "Irony at it's finest. It's like the roles are reversed in the worst way. Instead of Naruto telling _me_ not to go after Orochimaru...I'm the one telling him now."

Crowa reached up, moving a blown strand of his orange hair from his face. "Life's funny like that."

"You call it funny. I call it hell."

"Life can be that, too…."

The wind continued to whistle around them and for a moment, neither spoke. Minutes passed in like fashion until Sasuke suddenly lifted a finger to just between Crowa's eyes, not quite touching his flesh.

"You have a good mind, good mentality," said Sasuke as though pointing out the glaring obvious. "Do you have a bit of time to spare?"

Contemplating whether or not he would need to start carrying around spirit-warding charms in case this turned malevolent, Crowa racked his brain for a quick second. Nothing important whatsoever of the day sprang forth and he could trust his memory to be right. "We're still healing from the failed mission, Sasuke. You know that."

And that was partly truth. Crowa felt close to being back at full and Sakura, already showing signs of a medical-nin in his eyes, was already healed of most major injuries. It was Naruto who had suffered an after-mission beating at the hands of Anko when he so very foolishly stepped up with the intent of 'fighting' her, which she had to correct him on most properly. Anybody without the regenerative aid of the Nine-Tailed Fox would be laid up in the hospital, concussed.

"Good. Let's have a sparring session."

Those words sparked behind Crowa's chest and he found himself grinning despite the fact that such a desire was impossible. This spirit had caused so much trouble and seemed wholly at peace with it—that was something that irked the hybrid and, truth be told, he'd love nothing more than to go a round or two with the infamously arrogant Uchiha but—

"I don't see how that's going to happen," he voiced almost eagerly. His tail twitched down his right pant leg.

"If you've got a broad enough mind..._anything's possible_," and Sasuke touched his finger to Crowa's forehead.

It was if he'd been stabbed by an ice pick. Pain flooded every nerve receptor the hybrid possessed and he howled out, skin aflame, heart thudding close to the point of exploding. His eyes rolled up into the back of his skull, darkness claimed everything bright in his world, cold and all-consuming; he could do nothing but sink into it….

"Hey. Open your eyes."

Something warm tapped Crowa on the cheek and he blearily blinked until everything came into focus. His skull throbbed relentlessly but wherever he was provided dim lighting, a soothing luminescent shading that brought peace to his aching mind.

"What… Where am I?" The question fell from Crowa's lips in a baffled whisper as he glanced around, a hand to his forehead protector.

Gone were the green fields and the obelisk honoring Konoha's dead. It had been replaced by a vast and empty landscape, one of a dark, almost pulsating nature that stretched out in all directions as far as the eye could see. The area above was laced with a purple mist that provided the calming shade; it wasn't exactly sky, far from it and Crowa sensed that above lay something menacing, something that would scare the tar out of him if he ever witnessed it. What he sat on was not ground. It was a solid surface of reflective onyx, warm to the touch and vibrated like a struck tuning fork, not overly jarring but enough to consider that whatever space this was might be cognizant in some way.

"Where are we? This, Crowa, would be your mind," Sasuke explained, waving an arm at the expansive area. He jerked his head up at the purple overhang. "When I said you had a broad mind, I was holding true to a personal goal of mine to be more approachable, but it turns out I was right. See that up there? That's commonly known as blockage—seen something of the same when I did this with Naruto."

Accepting the Uchiha's helping hand, Crowa was tugged to his feet, inhaling the air, which was surprisingly fresh and invigorating considering the less than friendly atmosphere. The space above looked foreboding enough to earn the term 'blockage' and, aside from wondering whether lightning might suddenly surge through the mist, Crowa needed no explanation on what was blocking him. It was well known within the hybrid, he just wasn't mentally ready to deal with it nor did he have the necessary amount of time to give.

And it _would_ take some time.

"Forced meditation," he murmured more to himself than Sasuke yet the spirit nodded. "A clearly _deeper_ form of meditation at th—"

Crowa's lip finished the sentence accordingly but no sound came out. For the first time since awakening to this new yet oh-so familiar environment, he laid eyes on the cause of all the most recent bout of strife in his life. And it slightly uppercutted his senses when he saw that Sasuke was no longer just a bright outline with dented features...but rather a full-fledged boy of his age and about a couple inches taller, adorned with raven-black hair spiked in the back and the most coldest pair of onyx pupils Crowa had ever laid eyes on.

He had no idea the weight of Sasuke's character considering all he'd heard of the boy were second-hand stories and gossip clippings betwixt some females, but now all of it made an unnerving amount of sense. His eyes… They spoke of his painful journey, the longing urge to gain power through any means, even if it meant selling his soul, the terror at bearing witness to the eradication of his clan, and the nauseating spiral into a darkness so wretched it caused Crowa to flinch.

"Something the matter, Crowa?" It was asked with a knowing inflection, another indicator being the smirk on the Uchiha's full lips. "Was it something I said?"

"No. More like what I saw. And I think I've stumbled upon the reason why Naruto is racing so quickly towards a failed destination. You two share a lot of similarities, but I'm sure you're already aware of that."

With a nod, Sasuke turned and began to walk away a distance of thirty feet. "A frightening amount of similarities, I'd say, some of which we weren't even knowledgable of until I tapped into his mind." Sasuke clapped his hands together at his chest and ran through a quick series of hand signs. "And if I haven't said already...I brought you here for really only one purpose."

Recognizing the signs as they were made, Crowa's eyes began to narrow, his leg muscles tensing. "One purpose," he repeated slowly. "And that would be…?"

"To fight, of course," and Sasuke's chest expanded as he sucked in as much air as possible. "**Gaton: Giant Fireball no Jutsu**!"

The air gave an audible crackle when Sasuke let loose a massive ball of fire befitting the discharge of a dragon; it exploded out of his mouth with such force the ground underneath his feet cracked like glass—

Crowa was already in motion before the ball of wrath crossed the halfway mark: he dropped down and sprinted forward on all fours, throwing himself sideways not a moment too soon, grunting when he felt nothing but pure heat roast the side of his shirt, the fabric burning away into ash.

"Don't get distracted now," called a voice and Crowa stuttered in his run when Sasuke appeared, seemingly out of thin air, in front of him. It took less than an instant. Sasuke dipped back onto one hand and kicked up hard with a foot that met the underside of Crowa's jaw, an echoing _crack_ indicating a possible dislocation, and suddenly, Crowa was in flight, soaring towards the ominous purple haze.

"That was a solid kick to your lower jaw, you won't be fit to dodge this." Something prodded Crowa in the dead of his back. Sasuke was just underneath him, floating as his shadow, two fingers pressed to the middle of his spine. "Be thankful this move right here is only a watered down copy. The real thing might kill you."

A foot thudded into Crowa's side; before he could even groan at that, another foot crashed into a spot just at the base of his spine; followed by a sharp elbow to the chest—

"**Shishirendan!**" was all Crowa heard before Sasuke's fist sank into his midsection and his back met the glass-like ground with enough force to sink into it, shards of black bursting into the air to match the blood spouting from between his lips.

The pain only lasted for a moment. It sank in like a knife to his brain and everything faded. He could feel his body righting itself, standing, the pain ebbing away, the sense of familiarity leaving him until he once again blinked, his nostrils flooded with the sweet, earthen scent of grass.

He was back within the forest clearing, staring down at the sobering obelisk. For a moment, he couldn't move his body, and then feeling came back with a jarring shock and he nearly hit the ground, wavering slightly before catching himself, gripping one end of the plaque.

Sasuke was staring at him, back to his rudimentary form of blinding light with few distinguishing features. And he was grinning.

"You went down faster than I expected, given your little performance against Naruto and Mizuki. What happened?"

Crowa patted his chest, taking a few breaths to calm himself before his mouth would work properly. "My senses were thrown off kilter in...in…."

"In your mind," Sasuke finished with a chortle. "Sorry, it just seemed like you were having trouble there. I didn't beat your ass _that_ badly, did I?"

It was said to get a rise out of him, Crowa knew this, but he still felt himself snarling somewhat. "You drag your opponent to an unknown location—"

"Unknown? It was _your_ mind, not mine. You had the advantage," Sasuke interjected but Crowa continued as though hearing nothing.

"—give them less than four minutes preparation time, and then proceed to start a fight. And just because it was my mind means jack all. You've clearly done this before, you had the terrain…."

To this, Sasuke chuckled. "Isn't that just like surviving in this world of ninja? Quick adaption to an otherwise unknown environment?"

Scowling somewhat, Crowa began stomping his numb foot on the ground, trying to rid himself of a sudden case of after-meditation tingles. "I would like a rematch."

"Yeah? And I'd like to be breathing in my physical body again," Sasuke retorted almost immediately, "but the world just isn't fair like that is it? Regardless of whether or not you deserve it, the world isn't going to hand you shit so you'd better get used to it. You think this whole situation doesn't just eat me up? Knowing I'm the cause for all of this chaos? When I saw how gung-ho Naruto and the others were, I decided to give everything my all...that if the ones I foolishly used to think were useless could risk their lives for me then I'd damn well better do right by them. It's the _human_ thing to do. I may not want them doing something so suicidal but fuck both you and anyone else who thinks to tell them their efforts are stupid and a waste of time."

At his sudden change in tone, a change into something merciless and cold, Crowa's eyes flew back but the Uchiha was glowering, his entire body turned to face the hybrid. "You don't want to help? Fine. But, please, before I start to get seriously pissed off, quit telling them to drop it."

Now Crowa found his voice. He parted his lips, paused for a moment, then said, "I can tell you've gone through some sort of metamorphosis since your death. Back in my...my mind," he forced himself to say, "your eyes told me you were the type of person who didn't consider themselves to have any friends, that you thought they were frivolous like you said. You didn't care then. You care now."

"More like I was blind before, but I'm seeing clearly now. In the back of my head, I'd somehow confused admirers with friends and they were annoying so I threw both concepts out without bothering to differentiate, and the admirers only came because of my family's fame and notoriety," he added with a derisive laugh towards his childish stupidity. "And I...apologize for snapping on you earlier…."

"None taken," Crowa responded almost automatically, truthfully.

"Can I assume you have friends? Ones you can really count on to have your back when shit hits the fan?"

It was on the tip of Crowa's tongue to say 'no' outright, but then he caught himself when three faces swam across his vision, snippets of those who, despite their vastly different backgrounds and violent tendencies towards one another, would take up for him if the situation called for it.

And one face in particular remained when the other two faded. The face of a boy with canine-like ears and a very peculiar urge to commingle amongst the very humans Crowa now found himself surrounded by on the daily. The boy who came from the same crooked tracks as he, who had lost his parents and yet, oddly, bore no ill-will towards anyone for their deaths. He was...a strange one, that much was certain, but Crowa enjoyed that boys company second only to his former Queen's. He was nice to talk to; he actually listened and his reactions were always sincere, whether it was sorrow or compassion, happiness or laughter...everything about that boy was from the heart….

"Rent." Crowa nodded to himself, blind to the fact that he was somewhat smiling until Sasuke spoke.

"Hey, you're smiling. That guy—Rent, was it?—he must be worth his salt, then," the Uchiha concluded.

Maybe it was Sasuke's tone of voice—that inviting timbre of interest—or maybe it was due to the fact that Crowa had seen a great deal of himself resonating in those cruel black eyes, but whatever the case, Crowa began to speak, slowly at first just in case he had misread the Uchiha's level of intrigue. But then minutes had passed and Sasuke continued to listen while occasionally staging a relevant question of his own which Crowa, surprisingly, delighted in answering. He told of his adventures with Rent mostly, beginning from when the canine hybrid found him in the back alley's, to the trouble they got in as a result of Rent's never-ending desire to pull escape maneuvers, to the two of them being introduced to Yumi and Ban, their other teammates.

By the time Crowa fell silent, having exhausted all of the adventures he felt fit to share, the sun was just beginning to set behind the tallest building in Konoha and his eyes burned, blurring his vision until a single tear escaped and rolled down his cheek.

"What… What the…?"

As he touched a finger to the track of water left behind, confused beyond all reason, Sasuke merely smirked, lifted a hand, and began to walk away. He vanished, from both sight and senses, before reaching the outer forest, and Crowa stared after the faded source of light, once again feeling as though having learned a great amount of truth in the span of a few hours.

He turned somewhat, rubbing at his watery eye with the back of his hand, and, after glancing once more at the obelisk monument with a slight bow of appreciation, began his trek back into the village.

**XXX**


	20. Halfway Mark

Future Plans

Chapter 20: Foreboding Interlude

**XXX**

The warmth in Konoha during the late evening was quite different than what Crowa was used to. In a sharp contrast, he actually _felt_ warm, cozy and secure even. Wandering the main streets, he could probably fall asleep in the middle of the road without a care towards losing his life. There was no underlying twinge of hostility here, no need to constantly keep watch over his shoulder, the smell of blood was so low it was almost nonexistent; why, a lethargic fatigue had found him and soon he was yawning, a hand to his mouth.

The village of Konoha and the Kingdom of Moon-X...their disparities were unnerving.

_Maybe I needn't fear for my life…._

Currently, he had no good God clue where he was, and in Moon-X not knowing your surroundings meant an assured death by the particular clan that owned it but here, there was no such hierarchy. Everyone seemed to share everything. It was….

_What would Rent call this?_ Crowa wondered, glancing around at the scarce indigenous walking to and fro, talking, laughing, buying, selling. _Ah...right. A community. _

He had to admit, it wasn't a bad feeling, and now that Tsunade was his new Queen he figured the sooner he adapted to this intriguing lifestyle, the better suited he'd be at serving her.

He paused, suddenly aware that his hearing was still muffled. It made him wonder...if the Queen of this land accepted him then what did it matter what her subjects thought of him? She was fine with his appearance, and that was more than good enough. All other opinions were superfluous.

Crowa had just finished tying his forehead protector the right way (ears free) and poking his kinked tail through the specially made hole in his pants when two girls staggered out of a flower shop next to him, their voices raised in a heated argument. He instantly recognized his teammate Sakura Haruno and that other girl who she had a village-known rivalry with, Ino Yamanaka.

Yamanaka...why did that name sound so…? He glanced up, nodding at the name of the shop. _Yamanaka Flowers._

"Of cour—"

"Crow-kun!" Ino called and he jerked in spot. She waved him over, ignoring Sakura who continued to gesture at the tulips she held. When he reluctantly made his way over, she showed him inside, grandly extending both arms to the vast collection of flowers, shrubbery, and wildlife her family-owned business had to offer. "I don't think you've ever been here, right? Well, welcome, to the Yamanaka Flower shop! Your one-stop shop for all your plant and wildlife needs!"

Ears twitching, Crowa spared the annoyingly colorful interior a single glance. "I haven't a need for plants," he finally said.

"Such a dour answer. Yup, you're definitely Sasuke's replacement alright," she grinned.

It was as if Crowa had been punched in the gut by that comparison. He felt winded, insulted, and thoroughly pissed off to be stacked up next to the spirit of someone who lost their life through such selfish, idiotic reasons.

Before he could open his mouth and possibly say something that would get him banned from this shop forever, Sakura hunched Ino in the ribs with her elbow.

"There is _no one_ who can replace Sasuke," she snapped and Ino rolled her eyes.

Setting down the tulip, Sakura patted Crowa over the shoulder. Her mouth opened and her lips began to move to indicate speech but the moment her hand touched him, his hearing died.

It just went out with an unnerving '_pop_' and he heard nothing.

Except a distant laughter.

Wait.

As his heartbeat began to quicken and his chest began to heave, Crowa dismissed that faraway noise as 'laughter'; laughter was something jovial, something warm. This...it sounded like the cackle of a witch after having dragged a couple plump children off into the woods. It sounded _evil_.

He was shivering where there was no cold. There remained a bit of rationality in his dying mind and it told him whatever this was, whatever was causing this feeling of dread to grip his heart, it was Sakura. And that made sense. So much so that he captured his tongue between his unnaturally sharp incisors and bit down hard.

The pain that roared up coupled with the blood that spurted against his gums was enough to break Crowa of his paralysis and he knocked Sakura's hand away. She eyed him strangely as he turned around, one hand clutching the front of his shirt. His heart was still racing.

He didn't need to ponder what in the hell that was. Even though no one told him, quite possibly because no one else knew, he was already aware of the darkness festering within the pink-haired kunoichi. It reminded him of Yumi's, except more restrained and refined, honed actually. She didn't let it show in psychotic bursts of bloodshed and anarchy. In fact, her depravity was surprisingly civil considering how far along it was.

She hated Naruto. That much was also certain. Well, certain to anyone with eyes and who'd been subjected to that sort of behavior in their life. All of her attention towards him—the worry, the hugs, the happiness—all of it was a well-rehearsed act. One that he had no intention of exposing. If Naruto couldn't parse her charade then the consequences fell on his head, not Crowa's.

_Still. We _are _technically comrades. I should probably warn Naruto._ He turned around, quickly dismissing the idea. Warn the target? What kind of sense did that make…?

"Crowa, are you okay?" There was worry in Sakura's tone and she made to touch him again but wisely thought better of it, her hand instead picking up the tulip from before. "You seem a bit…."

"What? A bit what? Off?"

She shook her head. "Down."

A crock-pot full of sadistic intentions she may be, Sakura had a point, and perhaps it showed in his face for Ino indicated to behind the front counter where there were three chairs. One for her and her parents, now seats for them all.

"What's on your mind, Crow-kun?" she wondered genially, pulling forward what Crowa could only assume was an unfinished floral arrangement, set aside when she and Sakura began arguing.

Could he tell them? _Should_ he tell them? Usually, when matters of the conscious were picking at him, Crowa tended to drift towards Rent, the guy who was _all_ conscious. Those talks were calming, had always been calming, and it'd been awhile since he'd unloaded.

Why not.

"I…." He became aware how both Sakura and Ino were eyeing him expectantly, patiently, clearing comfortable with waiting until he was ready to speak. He swallowed, "What if you had to do something...something you're not exactly thrilled with but it's considered a birthright of sorts…?"

He watched with less than hopeful eyes as Ino and Sakura exchanged glances with one another. Oddly, they didn't seem weirded out by his question.

Ino set down her flower stems and turned to fully face Crowa, hands snuggly between her thighs. "I...I _think_ I see where this is going but would you mind explaining, Crow-kun?"

Her voice was tender. It lacked the annoying screech Sakura's held. Crowa sighed.

"I was born into a strange family...well, that much is obvious," he figured aloud, and the girls caught sight of his bushy tail swishing through the air behind him, "but something happened to my clan leader, and in order to get him back...in order to restore the balance lost…I may have to do something terrible…."

Recognition flashed over Sakura's green pupils and she clenched the tulip in her hands to a crushing point. She barely felt it when Ino tried to wrest the poor flower from her grip, lost to thoughts of Sasuke and how he had vowed to one day kill his brother.

"Is it to kill someone…?" she asked softly.

Crowa blinked, stunned that she had hit the nail on the head so quick. "Yeah. Uh...yeah, it is." He watched her eyes drop away as Ino managed to save her flower, laying it out gently on the counter. "And once I do, I can regain the clan leader and restore not only my clan, but my entire land."

Ino's lips were moving wordlessly but that didn't stop Crowa's training from kicking in and he caught flashes of a mumbled "...S-class mission," and "...impossible burden". He didn't bother asking for an elaboration and instead continued.

"But I think I'm beginning to _like_ the target. I can't explain it but they intrigue me and I think they're my friends now." His heart was racing again. "I...what should I do…?"

Without a word of warning, Ino scooted her chair forward and threw her arms around Crowa in a tight hug. What stunned Crowa more was how he seemed to melt into her embrace, his entire body slackening as her warmth flooded him like a river, cleansing him.

"Follow your heart, Crow-kun, follow your _instincts._" Her breath was warm against his ear and he prayed she wouldn't be able to feel just how hard his heart was pounding. "Sometimes what you're ordered to do can clash with what you know you _should_ do. When that happens...you have to ask yourself: what do you truly wish to do?"

It happened before Crowa could stop it. Tears, quick and hot, cascaded down his cheeks and his ears were met with the sound of his own sobs. He reached up with a trembling hand, gripping a handful of Ino's purple tunic.

"I...I just want to keep feeling this warm sensation forever! It—it feels good and I laugh and—and s-sometimes I hurt when they hurt and…."

The bell overtop the main entrance jingled and heads looked up to see Naruto walking in, Rock-Lee at his side. The two of them were in a heated debate about which flowers Sakura would enjoy the most.

Still hugging Crowa, Ino shot Sakura a mocking grin as the pink-haired kunoichi facepalmed with an echoing '_smack_'. "Your boy-toy's are heeeere," she sang.

"Shut up, pig…."

"...no way, look, Bushy-brows, I'm tellin' you, her hair's pink right? It makes sense to go with the Sakura Blossom! It even has her name in it!" Naruto persisted.

"Naruto! I admire your burning passion but you are wrong! So far wrong you're getting older! We must think _outside_ the flower! And to do that we need to strike out with something more meaningful...like this! The astilbe flower! Such beauty, you can practically see it on her nightstand!"

The bickering and arguing continued, growing in volume as they approached the front desk, until Naruto stopped quite suddenly, his eyes falling over the three seated behind the counter. More importantly, the one Ino held.

"Crowa!" He slammed his packet of sakura blossoms down and swerved around the counter to his teammate's side. "Hey, what's wrong? You okay?"

When sat back, there was a line of snot trailing from his nose to Ino's shoulder. There was a collective group shudder before Rock Lee produced a forest-green handkerchief and cleaned the soiled areas. Crowa was smiling, genuinely, and it felt good. It felt...right.

"I'm fine," he said truthfully, slapping Naruto a reassuring high-five.

It took quite a bit of time for Naruto and Rock-Lee to decide which flower they wanted to buy, but after Sakura's embarrassing reminder that they'd already bought her some just day's prior they figured it could wait.

"See you later, Crow-kun!" Ino's exuberant voice followed Crowa out of the shop and into the cool evening. He glanced back to see her waving. "If you ever need someone to talk to, you know where to find me, okay?"

Surprisingly, he found himself waving back to her, his ears perking up at the prospect of going back even when he had nothing of importance to say.

"YOSH!" Rock-Lee's yell made not only them jump, but nearly all the passerby on the road. "Back to training! Back to keeping my flame bright!" He turned to the three genin next to him with an inviting smile. "Would you three like to join me in keeping our flames of youth roaring?"

Sakura gave a nervous grin. "W-well, I—it's late, Lee, and we really—"

"Sure!" Naruto answered with just as much enthusiasm. "We'd love to join ya, bushy brows! Let's go!"

Crowa watched as Sakura hang her head with a defeated sigh before reluctantly falling in step behind the two bouncing genin. Smirking, he looked to the sky. It was growing ever dark, a blanket of deep blues chasing away the last rays of sunlight.

"Rent. Would this make you happy, my friend? The path of peace...it's different from the path of bloodshed. It's...it's a different kind of warm."

Naruto's voice echoed out, "C'mon, Crowa!"

"Coming!"

**XXX**


	21. Ignition and Success Rate

Future Plans

A/N: Pushin' on till the end.

Chapter 21: Ignition and Success Rate

**XXX**

"Naruto."

"Nnngh… p-please… not there… th-that's my—oh _God_, yes…."

"_Naruto._"

"Both… no, yeah… use b-both hands… I know, I know it's big but you cannnnngh... ahhh—"

Something blunt struck Naruto upside the head with significant force, enough force to cause his wonderful dream of scantily clad kunoichi to vanish into thin air, being replaced with the blurred image of Crowa. The hybrid was knelt down at his head. Naruto blinked, glancing around his apartment. Darkness still reigned with scarce rays of brilliant sunlight leaking in through the blinds. The ear not mashed into his pillow perked to the noise outside, to the sound of shops just opening and vendors setting up for the morning rush, and came to the conclusion that—

"It's six in the mornin'…." Groggy as hell, Naruto glanced the hybrid over, vision blurry, and ascertained there was nothing that warranted his attention. "The hell, Crowa? We don't have to meet up with Kakashi-sensei for at least another four—"

Crowa cut through the blonde's drowsy rambling with one sentence: "We can do it."

Naruto froze for but an instant, the sleep falling from his face instantly, and he pushed himself up on an elbow. He stared Crowa from top to bottom, scrutinizing silently, before glancing over the hybrid's shoulder towards the only couch within the one-room apartment.

The glowing figure of a boy long gone was in the process of sitting up, his face displaying a moderate amount of shock at what had been said, even more so by who had said it.

With a chuckle, Naruto snatched off his penguin nightcap. "So," he began with a yawn, "what finally brought ya 'round?"

Crowa glanced off to the side, silent. He could feel Sasuke stirring behind him. In fact, after having the soul invite itself into his mind everything about the Uchiha had taken on a surprising amount of detail. If it weren't for the hue of ever-present radiance around him, Crowa would almost swear he were alive. Hair color was there, skin tone, his irises had color as well, and he could even make out the Uchiha's high-end brand of clothing.

"I haven't come around," Crowa uttered through clenched teeth and he fell back on his rear, legs crossed, hands resting on his knees. He stared deeply at Naruto, almost accusingly. "I'm just repaying a debt. Where I'm from, we always give as good as we get…."

"Debt?" Eyebrows quirked, Naruto sat up fully, kicking back the covers and scratching his side. "What debt do you have with _me_?"

Crowa glanced all around the apartment, one roll of the eyes that ended back on the blonde again. "Room and board for one."

"We're teammates, Crowa," Naruto reminded with a dismissive wave of his hand. "And besides, you were kinda forced to stay here. Not like you had a choice."

Crowa had only opened his mouth to disillusion Naruto when Sasuke sauntered into the section of room that could be labeled 'the sleeping quarters' and leaned against the wall at Naruto's head.

"You say 'we can do this' but also that you haven't come around," he began, folding his arms lightly, "so what's your _real_ reasoning? If free room and board were enough to sway you, you would've been on Naruto's side from the beginning."

Naruto pointed up at the soul. "This is true."

In a move reminiscent of Shikamaru's 'thinking' pose, Crowa joined the tips of his fingers together and leaned forward, his brow furrowing with confusion as if he couldn't quite understand his own actions. "Like you said before... we're teammates. And teammates, I realize, are suppose to assist one another in ways that go beyond mere missions. So that's what I'm going to do. If you both believe in this suicidal plan as strongly as I think you do," and Crowa glanced up, "then I will, too."

There was silence within the apartment. A long silence, broken only by the sharp chirps of birds as they brought in the morning. Ten minutes melted away in that process and still no one stirred, neither living nor dead.

And then Naruto lifted a fist. Wordlessly, Crowa lifted his own and they bumped knuckles.

"Welcome to the SRT, Crowa."

It looked as if Crowa might grin but killed the motion halfway through. "Before we throw the party, I feel, as teammates, I should let you know something. I'm not sure how you might take this but—"

"If it's bout Sakura-chan and her not-so-secret plan to kill me, then you can save your breath," the blonde said, speaking as casually as ever.

Sasuke snorted. Crowa blinked.

"Hm. So you're not as stupid as everyone thinks you are," he concluded bluntly.

Naruto smirked, choosing to ignore that backhanded compliment. "I don't like to repeat myself so much nowadays, gets annoyin'. The future-Hokage should only have to say stuff once after all!" he laughed. "If people want to think I'm still the same nimrod since before Uke died then let 'em think that."

"Claims he's changed but still calls me 'uke'," Sasuke noted aloud.

"Suck it," Naruto responded without missing a beat, his gaze never leaving Crowa. "No matter how much I grow, I'll never _not_ want to knock your teeth out in a sparring match, Sasuke."

"Likewise, dead last."

"So how long have you known about Sakura's... little plan?" Crowa wondered, sincerely perplexed. Where he once had Naruto pegged as a blind, happy-go-lucky doofus, discovering the blonde actually had a brain upstairs was something both astounding and relieving. "I won't lie. I'm good at seeing through acts—I wouldn't be here right now if I weren't—and I never once suspected you might know…."

"Probably because I'm not _trying_ to ignore it," Naruto offered with a carefree shrug. "I think at this point only Sakura herself and whatever little demon she's channeling think that no one knows what she's doing or plotting."

"I'm afraid I don't fully understand….I couldn't see your act because you weren't… trying?"

Naruto nodded. "It's simple, really. Only recently has Sakura been getting more... we'll call it 'crazy'... and she knows this. She's not a stupid kunoichi, her mind's sharp, just cracked. And once she realized how far down she was starting to slip, she started trying to hide it, and when you try to hide something _that_ demented you leave behind clues whether ya want to or not. I picked up on it a while ago, and she thinks I'm in the dark about it but I'm not. I'm just not actively trying to make like it doesn't exist thereby drawin' suspicion to myself. If I did that then she might snap earlier than expected…."

Giving the blonde a little golf clap of sorts, Sasuke straightened up. "Credit where it's due, I suppose. I'm tethered to you in a way and even _I_ thought you were stupid to it."

Looking oddly solemn, Naruto slowly shook his head. His gaze was that of diamonds, hard and sharp. "Kakashi-sensei knows, too, but I begged him not to say or do anything about it."

"Why?" Crowa asked with far more concern than he thought he held for the situation. "She's a literal loose-cannon just waiting to go off. And when she does? I don't think we'll be able to prevent the deaths that follow. Like you said, she's smart, and her skills as a shinobi are up there, Naruto." He narrowed his eyes. "In my opinion, we should just deal with her as soon as pos—"

The rest of Crowa's words died away when Naruto held up two fingers. "What I'm about to say, if you repeat any of it to another soul besides me I can guarantee there will be war between Konoha and the kingdom of Moon-X."

With that threat came a flash of raw anger that bristled the fur on Crowa's tail and it kinked up behind him; his ears fell back flat but he said nothing, the anger subsiding just as quickly as it came, falling into object fear when he caught sight of the glint behind Naruto's usually exuberant pupils.

He could see it. Clearly.

The nine-tailed fox gazed back at him from those human eyes, observing him, noting him, possibly entertaining ways to kill him. A drop of sweat rolled down the side of Crowa's head and he blinked, suddenly aware that his chest was burning due to a lack of air. Just how long ago _had_ he stopped breathing…?

"And if you didn't catch what I meant, I'm basically tellin' you: speak this, you die." Naruto's clarification was spoken calmly, not a threatening shred to be found but Crowa was very much used to that tone of voice and knew the blonde was the farthest thing away from joking.

"Speak then," Crowa said, surprised to hear the steadiness in his own voice, "what could be so important as to start a potential war?"

Of the two fingers raised, Naruto took his pointing digit and stuck it up his nose, digging around idly for a second before flicking it. "Pardon, that was buggin' the hell outta me. Anyway," he wiped the finger on his covers, "because of me two lives were fucked up. Sasuke and Sakura's. You can see what's wrong with Sasuke—"

"That was _not_ your fault," hissed Crowa, his voice blending with Sasuke who said the same thing.

"—and we're all aware of the road Sakura-chan is heading down because of this," Naruto continued as though hearing nothing. "She _can_ be saved. She _will_ be saved. If I save Sasuke, I save her. If not, then whatever she wants to do with me, I've already accepted that side of the coin…."

Staring down at the blonde, Sasuke's mind backpedaled to the night before cell 7 failed their first mission as a new team. Those mangled bodies… the gore….If that's what Sakura did to those who had nothing to do with his murder then thinking what she might subject Naruto himself to was stomach-churning.

"You leave her to me," Naruto finished, jerking a thumb at his chest and giving off his trademark grin. "And really, I have no intention of being killed off by some whacko with repressed love issues so you know I'm gonna come out of this alright," then his voice dropped to barely above a whisper as he added, "I hope…."

After a few seconds hard glaring, Crowa sighed, his head hanging limply. "Fine. As teammates, I'll leave this to you… but…." Attention was drawn to Crowa's right hand and both Naruto and Sasuke watched as veins throbbed to life; the raise in chakra was damn near palpable. "If she shows even the slightest hint of becoming 'uncontainable', then teammate or not…."

He trailed off, leaving his sentence to hang ominously and Naruto nodded.

A growl ripped through the air and Naruto slapped a hand over his gut, wincing. "Ugh...trainin' with bushy brows then goin' to bed without food wasn't the smartest thing ever…."

"I told you so," Sasuke tossed in and Naruto flipped him off.

"I don't wanna hear it, ghost-boy."

"Ghost boy now, eh? And I was just starting to like Ghosuke."

Crowa stood, his knees popping, and extended a hand towards Naruto. "Come, let's get some food and you can tell me how you plan to revive the Uchiha in full. I may be on your side now but if your plan doesn't surpass a ninety percent success rate then we're going to have some problems."

Laughing nervously, Naruto allowed himself to be yanked to his feet, almost into the ceiling. "Ninety percent?" He led the way into the kitchen area where he proceeded to grab some bowls and a few packs of ramen. "Well, uh...how's four suit ya? Maybe even an honest six percent success rate?"

Crowa stared at Naruto. Then he turned to Sasuke who shrugged. "You've known him longer, Uchiha. Is this fool serious?" he asked, pointing at Naruto who laughed as he filled two bowls with boiling hot water.

Sasuke hunched a shoulder. "Like I said, it's his ninja way. It's a stupid way, no doubt about that, but it gets results. And in the life of a shinobi, results are all that matter."

Massaging his temple in an effort to stave off an approaching headache, Crowa pulled out one of the chairs around the battered table and sank into it. "This is going to be an ongoing thing with you, isn't it, Naruto?"

"Hm?" Naruto looked up from the bowls of cooking ramen, his mental three-minute timer at the halfway mark. "What ongoing thing?"

"_This_. This whole… not… knowing… thing," Crowa got out through clenched teeth, hiding his face in his hand.

"Oh. Yeah. I find it's better for most of my plans if I don't have them securely locked in place."

"Elaborate. Before I flip this table."

"Well, if it's locked in place, with every little detail all nice and planned out... where's the room for maneuverability? A proper shinobi has to be able to adjust to any situation he's thrown into, and that includes seeing an alternate route if the previous one gets blocked. I think that's rule 87 of the shinobi handbook."

"89, dead last," Sasuke corrected.

"Whatever, close enough." Blowing away the steam, Naruto set a bowl down before Crowa before taking a seat opposite the hybrid. He picked up a pair of secondhand looking chopsticks, slammed his palms together, yelled out, "Itadakimasu!" and began eating.

While Naruto plowed through his portion in less than the time it took to cook it, Crowa picked and nibbled, eyes trained incessantly on the blonde, waiting for him to finish and divulge his plan. When Naruto finally set down his utensils a mere minute later, Crowa immediately did the same, his bowl looking almost untouched.

"Whoa, hey, hey, the hell is that, Crowa?" Naruto indicated to the still steaming bowl of ramen. "I don't know how you do things back home, but here? We finish our food, man."

"Oh, right. Pardon. Here, let me finish it."

Pushing out his chair, Crowa stood and began walking backwards towards the sink, eyes locked onto Naruto and his face expressionless even as he chucked the ramen out the overhead window, bowl and all.

"There. Finished," he said staidly.

Sasuke started to laugh.

Naruto opened his mouth but the distant sound of porcelain breaking on cement closed his lips. "You...you realize people have been killed for less, right?" he managed to get out once Crowa had retaken his seat.

"I'm well aware how very little it takes for someone to take another's life, Naruto. Now, I'm done eating. You're done eating. What's your plan?"

"The first time I heard this I nearly died," Sasuke echoed from the corner after subsiding into chuckles, "and I'm already dead so that's saying something. You sure you want to h—"

"Yes. There's bound to be some holes and oversights in it, _huge _ones considering who's thought of it. At the very least, I can fill in the gapes and try to raise the success rate somewhat."

Sasuke snickered. "Oh, you'll try." He motioned at Naruto. "Go on, then. Tell him just like you told me."

"Gimme a second… I'm tryin' to decide whether or not I want to shank the bastard with a knife for wastin' perfectly good ramen," Naruto said, tapping his finger on the table, his face scrunched up in serious thought.

"You might as well save it. We're more than likely heading towards death anyway," reminded Crowa and Sasuke nodded.

"Oh, yeah you are. Make no mistake."

Passing Crowa's waste of ramen off as a first offense, Naruto exhaled, sighing out his anger, which left him looking oddly somber. "You want the long version or the short version?"

"Long. Please."

"Suit yourself. As you know already, my plan mainly revolves around a notorious ninja by the name of Orochimaru—"

Crowa issued a noise that sounded like a cross between a disbelieving snort and a piteous laugh.

Hospitably, Naruto waited to see if the hybrid would add anything comprehensible, but after a few seconds it seemed as though that were all he intended to 'say'. "Alright, continuing on, we know he's a highly volatile missing nin in almost all the bingo books across the world. But... pushing aside all of that, he also has one jutsu that's forbidden as hell yet it may be the only way to bring Sasuke back. It's a sort of reanimation jutsu—"

"And that would be similar to the one he supposedly used to bring back your first and second rulers, right?" Crowa asked, and Naruto shook his head.

"There's no 'supposedly' about it. He _did_ it. With _that_ jutsu. From what Kakashi-sensei told me about it, the reanimated corpses held onto their memories, their skills, everything—except for the fact that they were under Orochimaru's control, they were themselves. Essentially," Naruto added lowly with a sideways glance. "Anyway, that's what I'm banking on, that the same can work for Sasuke. The side-effects are, of course, unknown variables but hey."

Leaning back more comfortably, Naruto crossed his legs and sighed, throwing his head back. "Basically, we already know that spectral snot here ain't dead. Or 'dead' in the literal sense. Evidence points to him being trapped between realms, like how he can do certain things a soul can do and certain things a soul shouldn't be able to do. Given that, I don't really know what'll happen when we try the forbidden 'reanimation' jutsu on something that's technically not all the way dead, y'know? It might fix him, it might hurt him, or it might do nothing at all. It's a gamble from hell, but it's the best chance we've got."

Naruto glanced down his nose at Crowa. "And there ya have it. My plan at length. What's the success rate now?"

Like a freshly carved statue, Crowa was motionless, hardly breathing—but then his left ear flicked and he sat back looking rawboned as though a bleeding skeleton had just passed through. He worked his jaw for a moment, then, "A success rate implies there's a chance that an operation can succeed. Attaching a percentage to this would be a waste of time."

"That bad, eh?"

"Attaching the word 'bad' would be an even bigger waste."

"I warned you," said Sasuke, glancing out the window.

The ears atop Crowa's head twitched and he sat up, pushing a gust of breath through his pursed lips. "Alright. I said I wanted to hear this plan so I could fill any holes it might have, but honestly, you can't fill a bottomless pit. And that's basically what this plan is so now we move on to the next option: we're going to rely completely on my skills and your ability to work these… 'miracles', Naruto."

_So, he's finally coming around_, Naruto thought, sporting a feral grin and nodding. "Naturally. If I couldn't work miracles I wouldn't be alive right now."

"I'll believe it. And do we have a team for this suicidal foray, or is it just—" Crowa began.

"Now that you've finally opened your eyes, that'll be you, Kiba, Shikamaru, Choji, Neji, and yours truly," Naruto supplied. "We were the original team that went after Sasuke. And summarily failed," he tacked on lowly with a slight scowl, "so it's only right we see this mission through to the end. But anyway, I think that's a full roster right there, right? The more the merrier as they say."

"More like 'the merrier, the deader'," Crowa said sarcastically, then cleared his throat. "Six people….That's going to be tough to maneuver fluidly but fine."

"In the end, it may not even take all six of us," Naruto said, leaning back on his chairs hind legs. "You haven't had a chance to meet Shika yet. Guy's got a brain the size of two lands put together," he said, extending his arms out to the side for emphasis, "so I consider him the 'brains' in makin' this whole thing come together."

Upon hearing this, Crowa's left brow twitched. "Don't… please, don't use labels like 'brain' on a mission like this. When push comes to shove and your life's on the line even _your_ IQ could boost itself significantly, depending on just how badly you want to survive."

Sasuke had moved to the windowsill now and was peering out into the coming morn, smirking down at the mess of ramen splattered over the lower level apartments. "You sound like you have some experience in the field, Crowa."

"More than I'd like to admit. I can't formulate a 'smart' battle plan to save my soul," he admitted without a shred of chagrin, "so I have to rely on instincts when I'm surrounded by people out to skin me alive or make a game out of gutting me. Maybe I'm confusing intelligence for survival instinct… doesn't really matter either way, I suppose, so long as you live."

With a floor rumbling '_thud_', Naruto set his chair down and stood, his spine cracking, a look of relief spreading over his almost feline facial features. "Ooooh yeah, that hit the spot," he cooed with a shudder. "Listen, Crowa, I don't have the slightest clue on how to find Orochimaru. Do you think maybe you could…?"

"What, provide a route to our death?"

"Yes. And quit sayin' that, you jackass. We'll more than likely die _after_ this, not during. Sheesh, lighten up a bit why don't ya."

Crowa stared from Naruto to Sasuke. "And you. I take it you really want to come back?"

"This is the last time I'm going to answer that question," stated Sasuke with an annoyed sniff. "It's clear I'm still here for a reason, even if I don't know what that reason is just yet, and if there are people willing to risk their lives, then no, I don't _want_ to come back. I _will_ come back."

A sort of half-grin broke out over the hybrids face. "The reason the reanimation jutsu is number one on the forbidden jutsu list would be, of course, because life should only flow one way. Any other and you're bringing that person back just to live another life of pain and suffering. Buuuuut," he continued, stretching the word almost playfully, "I suppose… when the death is untimely… it might be okay."

"Alright!" Naruto cheered and he pulled an about face, heading towards the bathroom. "Do your thing while I get dressed!"

When the door slammed, Crowa began laughing. It started as a meager chuckle, but grew into a full-blown roar of laughter within seconds. He was laughing so hard he had to push his chair back and lean over, one hand to his knee, the other to his face. Silent, and wondering whether he ought to leave or stay, Sasuke surveyed the cackling hybrid with mild concern.

"You finally bust a synapse there, Crowa?" he decided to ask after a few minutes.

"N-no, I… I'm just… amazed at this 'friendship' thing, how it's able to make you go along with even the most idiotic reasons," explained Crowa between snorts, shaking his head. "Before coming here I'd have never agreed to this, especially with the subject matter concerning resurrection, but it feels… nice."

Rubbing his nails against his shirt, Sasuke nodded. "I suppose I can agree with you there; though you should thankful that you're seeing this while you're still…." He trailed off, looking down at his luminescent form.

The bathroom door suddenly swung open, bouncing off the adjacent wall, and Naruto staggered out dressed in his usual blue undershirt and fastening the belt to his baggy, iris pants; he aimed a kick behind him, slamming the door shut and looked up with a smirk when he noticed Crowa was already dressed.

"Got a direction in mind?" he asked, taking his chair and swinging it around to sit in it backwards.

"Not a one. Performing a forbidden jutsu is grounds for execution where I'm from so I can only guess the same fate follows here," Crowa began and he paused long enough to gauge an answer, provided when Naruto nodded. "Right. So essentially, if this works, we'll be bringing Sasuke back just to have all those involved seen off this world anyway."

Again, Naruto nodded. That was more than fine where he was concerned. Dying after righting a wrong… better than dying without doing anything.

"Given what awaits us whether we succeed or fail, we can leave at any time we choose," Crowa sighed, hunching his shoulders, bypassing the look of surprise that fell over Naruto's face. Crowa lifted a hand. "Hold your horses, Naruto. Not even _I_ can track someone without at least the slightest bit of a lead."

"Okay… and that means what exactly?"

"We pay a visit to Anko-sama."

It was as if Crowa had cast a genjutsu over the entire earth for the way everything became silent; the birds didn't chirp, the ever-growing noise of the village coming to life vanished, and the pleasant breeze drifting in through the sink window died. Two pairs of eyes found the hybrid, each displaying a different level of disbelief. Surely they hadn't heard right. They couldn't have.

Visit Anko?

The very same woman who had, just a few nights prior, performed a flawless home invasion and beat them unconscious?

And suddenly, Naruto was smiling the widest he'd done in a long while. Going to see the woman who promised to 'end them and not think twice about it' sounded more suicidal than the original plan! And yet… he felt a bolt of anticipation strike him square in the stomach with such force he nearly vomited.

Of course, he'd felt this numbingly cold sensation numerous times before. Being the incubator for the most demonic creature ever to draw breath meant days and nights filled with clumsy assassination attempts, sometimes from drunk civilians, sometimes from a higher-ranking ninja as part of a bet from his peers to see who could draw his blood.

After the hundredth time, he figured the thrill would leave him, or that he'd become so desensitized that it wouldn't matter. But no. He still received the same rush of adrenaline now as he did the other times.

He glanced over to the side, leering at the ghost of the boy he would see whole again. "That cool with you, Ghosuke?"

"Why're you asking me?" Sasuke wondered. "I'm a ghost remember?" and he lifted his arms, hands dangling, and loosed an eerie moan.

"Cut that crap out before I say 'screw it' and get you exorcised—" Naruto began jokingly.

"Like we haven't tried that," cut in Sasuke but Naruto continued as though hearing nothing.

"—and I asked because last time we 'faced' her, if you could call the ass-kickin' we got 'facing', she knocked you out. I think it's pretty obvious that she can banish you permanently so just be on the look out, try not to piss her off."

"I'm—what? _Me_?" Sasuke repeated incredulously, his eyes widening.

Naruto made to answer when his head snapped to the front door; across from him, Crowa's ears jerked up and his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Expecting company?" he asked, standing.

Getting to his feet as well, Naruto shook his head, his gaze never once shifting. Wordlessly, he led the other two to front door. Unlike with Anko, the chakra signature oozing in from the other side was nothing to fear or be wary of, but it was vast and varied which meant multiple visitors.

Naruto pulled the door open. He blinked, feeling his insides flip. Then smirked. "Well, what have we here…."

**XXX**


	22. Tagalongs and Heading Out

Future Plans

A/N: Thanks for the words, ya'll. Pardon the lateness.

Chapter 22: Tagalongs and Heading Out

**XXX**

An amalgam of people stood just on the other side of Naruto's door, faces that he somewhat expected to see and faces that, just by their appearance, confused the ramen out of him.

Of course, being bound by the rules of the jutsu Shikamaru had put in place, Naruto expected to see the aforementioned Nara along with Neji, Kiba, and Chouji—there was a growing link between them so to not get an inkling that he was about to do something stupid and rally up would be bad team cohesion on their part.

The faces he did _not_ expect to see were that of Sakura and Ino.

"Well, well, well, looks like the posse's all here," Sasuke uttered with some amusement over the blondes shoulder, "and what's this? Two tagalongs, have we?"

Where the others outside couldn't hear Sasuke—or see him for that matter—Crowa repeated it in his own way, "I know all of you aren't part of the original group." His eyes, narrowed and chastising, fell on the two kunoichi. "So I have to ask what you're doing here?"

"I got sick of _these_ two," Ino said grabbing both Shikamaru and Chouji by the ear, "leaving me behind all the time!" She gave their lobes a forceful tug, almost snatching them to the ground, before letting go, arms crossed and looking ready to pitch a fit. "Just what is going _on_ here?"

Kiba was sniggering as they stepped inside. "Told you guys we shoulda just outran 'em."

"Assuming you _could_ have left us behind you would've run the risk of catching a kunai in the calf," Sakura pointed out genially, ignoring the quizzical looks she received as she stared between her two teammates, her eyes glancing obliviously over Sasuke. "So... what's goes on?"

On the verge of answering, Naruto had only opened his mouth when Crowa put a finger to his lips, "What goes on doesn't need to be shared with those who aren't part of the… what was it called again?"

Neji answered. "The SRT, the Sasuke Retrieval Team," he said in a monotone, glancing the hybrid head to foot. "And speaking of who ought not know things… you would be the Uchiha's replacement, yes?"

"Yes."

"And your involvement would amount to… what?"

Crowa met the Hyuga's scrutinizing gaze and clicked his tongue. "I'm the one who thinks you're all a bunch of mentally unstable shinobi who should be locked up for even considering what you're considering," was his honest answer, one that caused the rest of the SRT to bristle with some annoyance. A low growl emanated from somewhere in Kiba's throat and Crowa's left ear flicked. "But, while I'm the one who believes this endeavor to be suicidal… I'm also the one who can get you as close as you need to be to your goal."

Wordlessly, Naruto nodded when the others turned to him as if wanting his approval of the hybrids words. "He's legit about helping. We're looking at a valuable asset here, I'd wager," he spoke, sounding light-years away from the blonde-haired clown that used to drop paint on the heads of villagers. There was a note of unifying valor behind his words, and to it, the others could only nod. "Goo-"

"No, not _good_," cut in Ino, stomping forward between Shikamaru and Chouji and planting her face within spitting distance of Naruto's. He met her soul-rending glare with a rather apathetic glaze settling over his eyes, a clear sign that he had mentally jumped ship before she even fixed her lips to rant. "Do you know how _worried _I am, seeing my teammates constantly heading off on their own to do God knows what only to return looking as though dragged through the mud? All the bleeding, all the cuts and bruises—_what is going on?_"

She was by no means through but Naruto felt that a good point to put a finger to her lips, turning to fix her squad mates with a look of mild surprise.

"You guy's have been training, too…?"

"You brought us a plan that involved Orochimaru," Shikamaru shrugged. He jerked his head at Crowa. "Siding with him for a moment, I've run through a near unthinkable amount of battle tactics this past week, hoping to give us an edge of any kind should we have to engage Orochimaru in combat. You know, based off of our individual skills and, of course, his." He didn't need to explain how he mapped out such strategies as it was well known the Nara utilized a shogi board in those instances. "All of them failed. Terribly," he added for emphasis.

"I'd think something fishy was goin' on if you'd said otherwise to be honest," Naruto reasoned. "And the bad news?"

"Wait, wasn't _that_ the, uh… the bad news?" Ino wondered, her annoyance temporarily forgotten.

"No. That was the good news insofar that we already know we don't stand chance so it wasn't anything surprising."

"The bad news," continued Shikamaru," is that we're going to need help from the devil himself if we even want a chance at succeeding. It's possible, but bleak."

"And that's where _he_ comes in," the blonde responded, slapping Crowa confidently over the back. He ignored how the hybrid leered at him. "It's a stroke of luck you guys showed up when you did, perfect timing. What I initially thought was just me adding more glass to the road has recently been given a very real push into some clarity. Meaning… we're going to pay a visit to Anko Mitarashi."

It was clear from the unified shudder that rippled through the group that all of them were familiar with the name in way or another, perhaps maybe even past what they were all subjected to during the Forest of Death Chunin exam.

Kiba was first to recover, shaking his head and blinking experimentally. "Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa….You mean that crazy-ass snake woman from our exams? The sadist who laughed as she explained how we could have possibly died?"

"The very same."

Naruto watched as the rest of the SRT exchanged glances with one another, gauging their reactions accordingly: Shikamaru looked as though he wanted nothing more than to say "Fuck this" and go home; Chouji, stunned and reaching into a bag of chips he'd brought, completely missed his mouth and wound up jamming a chip in his nose; Neji's face remained more or less the same as always, passive yet with some intrigued undertones; and Kiba wore a look that suggested Akamaru had been fatally stabbed.

"Oh, come on, now," Sasuke uttered with a small grin, "You haven't even faced the _real_ threat and Anko has you shaking in your skin?"

Naruto relayed that word for word, adding "cowards" after the first 'you'.

"Eh! I ain't no coward!" Kiba yelled, the vanilla colored dog nestled in his jacket yipping with agreement. "I never said I _wasn't _going, I just wanted clarification!"

"That probably explains the… _tick_ we felt," offered Neji contemplatively, "Right in the pit of our stomachs, like a warning that one of us was about to do something stupid. When we all met and didn't see you, Uzumaki, we figured this feeling had to be coming from here."

"And you would be right," said Crowa. "And what of you two… uh…" He was looking at Chouji and Shikamaru who introduced themselves once again. "Are you still going?"

Shikamaru patted a spot on his Chunin vest, specifically the spot that held his specially arranged assortment of ninjutsu scrolls. "When we first… we'll call it 'reformed'… we all made a pact, and the consequence of breaking that is death. I've no inclination to let cowardice do me in."

When Crowa turned to Chouji, the pleasingly plump genin pointed his elbow at his best friend and nodded.

"Then let's go."

"Hold on!" Ino hollered, taking a firm stance in front of the door with her arms out to either side. "We're going, too!"

Crowa spoke before any other could. "No, you're not."

"Why?" wondered Sakura.

"Because, as I've said before, you are not part of the original SRT."

"What, and you are?"

"Touché," Crowa admitted unfalteringly, his right ear flicking when Sasuke chortled, "but answer me this. In what ways can you help, other than increasing our already boisterous group size? Aside from his name and a few abilities, what do you know of Orochimaru?"

"Not much other than I _will_ kill him for what he did to Sasuke," Sakura answered with hardly a shred of hesitation or worry. There was no change in her face, no glint to her eyes. As far as anyone was concerned, she'd stated a clear as day fact.

And it was that fact that gave Crowa cause to relent, "Then feel free to tagalong, Haruno. And try not to slow us down, we're on a tight enough schedule," he added with faint traces of a grin.

Sakura nodded while the rest of the SRT regarded her once again as though seeing her properly for the first time.

Arching his head to stare over Shikamaru, Crowa met Ino's fierce gaze. "And you?"

"Well… my father's been on a few missions with Anko-sama; they used to work together," she answered.

"Any techniques through word-of-mouth?"

Ino nodded. Crowa returned it.

"You pass. Eight bodies, then," he concluded gravely. "Even _I've_ heard stories of the Forbidden Forest and its eldritch environment." He gave them all a sweeping glance. "We move like the shinobi we were trained to be, quick and silent; fall behind and you get left behind. Clear?"

As one, everyone nodded. Neji merely blinked.

Crowa looked to Naruto. "Well?"

"Well… what?"

Crowa's shoulder's slumped, his ears flopping in accordance. "Well, _lead_."

"The hell're you going on about, lead? You better talk to _that_ guy," Naruto scoffed, aiming a nod in Shikamaru's direction, "or that guy," and he sent one Neji's way.

To his surprise, both of them shook their heads. "No. I think Crowa's right, Naruto," Shikamaru said with some amount of acknowledgement. "Troublesome though it is, you were the one who was pouring over all the rituals and scanning the entire library and working yourself mentally and physically to brink of exhaustion in order to bring Sasuke back. Add to it," he said, extending an arm towards the group gathered, "you brought all of us together."

Words were lost to Naruto for a moment, his mouth hanging open rather comically, before he fixed his jaw and turned to the Hyuuga. "Neji, would ya mind talkin' some sense into this—"

"I concur with the Nara," Neji interrupted smoothly, shuddering slightly, "as aghast as I am to admit it."

"And I myself am rather curious as to your skills as a leader in general," Crowa tossed in when Naruto's face fell at Neji's acceptance, however reluctant. "Despite the obvious hate from the villagers, your peers hold you in some high regard, and that's all that matters, that they're willing to follow you no matter the situation. It may be because both parties are outrageously stupid, or that you're a good leader. Either way… lead on."

"He's right, you know," Sasuke said.

Feeling his cheeks begin to glow, Naruto offered the nodding members of the SRT a weak chuckle as he rubbed behind his head. "Yeah, I know," he admitted in a tone barely above a whisper, "I… just wasn't ready to hear something like that until after I became Hokage…."

"Well? What're we standin' around waitin' for? Let's go!" Kiba yelled.

"To death and beyond," Choji quipped through a mouthful of chips.

As Naruto strode past them, they fell in step one by one, Shikamaru shaking his head with a weary sigh as he jammed his hands in his pockets. "This is about to get so troublesome I may need to find a new word."

"Well, look at it this way," Ino chirped happily as they stepped into an almost blindingly bright day, the sun now but a gigantic flaming orb in the sky and exuding a merry warmth, "at least if we die, we die knowing the weather was fantastic!"

Shikamaru couldn't help but chuckle to that as Kiba bounded past. "There _is_ that, I suppose."

"No turning back now, eh?" Sasuke said, standing next to the blonde who was stretching like a cat awakened from its' slumber.

Naruto grinned to the point where he showed a bit of fang. "As if that were ever an option." He glanced back towards the others, his lungs filled with the invigorating scent of a new day, and pointed forward. "Here we go!"

**XXX**

In what might as well have been the 'heart' of Konoha was where a silver-haired Jonin resided, standing with an almost conflicted air about him as he surveyed the stand outside of his favorite book store; it was chock full of new issues and prints, many of which he had already preordered and needed only enter the store where he was a known regular.

But his current predicament boiled down to not knowing whether he should splurge, or pace himself. In less than five hours, he was due to meet his team at their usual training spot… and that would regrettably cut into what little leisure time he had managed to save up.

"The woes of being a squad leader, eh, Minato-sensei?" he voiced fondly, cradling his chin in his hand.

He blinked when a sudden jolt tore itself down the middle of his back. It wasn't painful, just jarring… and annoyingly familiar….

Without any conscious effort on his part, Kakashi's head lifted and slowly began turning west by a few inches… and then a few more. It wasn't hard to decipher in what direction he was looking, and then that rush of adrenaline from earlier made sense.

He smiled, even though his everyday mask hid it. "Well, thanks to Naruto, I do believe my schedule's been cleared for the day." He faced his precious bookstand once more, observing each paperback with an almost childish excitement and rubbing his hands together feverishly. "Splurging time!"

**XXX**

A/N: It's time for Anko to fuck some shit up, I wager. Later days.


	23. Bite of the Snake – First Bite

Future Plans

A/N: Pardon the lateness, lack of internet and all that there.

Chapter 23: Bite of the Snake – First Bite

**XXX**

Running.

Stumbling.

Lurching.

A high-pitched scream of terror rose into the damp forest air, "Holy shit… what the _fuck_ was that?"

There was no immediate answer, only the hurried sound of footsteps scurrying and bounding over a carpet of dead grass, brittle branches, and tearing through dense shrubbery. A mottled sunlight rained down through the tightly packed foliage of the surrounding trees, trees that a group of terrified genin were speeding around in a multicolored blur, their heads turning at every beastly shriek or snarl that echoed just out of their sight.

Sweat dripped down Naruto's neck in droves; it showed in dark spots under his arms and over his chest and back, but he didn't dare listen to his aching body and slow down for a second. He kept pace with Crowa, same as the others, as the hybrid took lead, deftly avoiding low-hanging branches and vines.

"If you have time to yell then you have time to run faster!" he shouted over his shoulder, his voice all but drowned out by the wind whistling through Naruto's ears.

The blonde couldn't quite remember for how long they'd been running. He couldn't quite remember when he suffered that stinging gash running up his right leg; it pulsed blood for every step he took. And he'd sooner be able to recall a moment of villager kindness before remembering when he had drawn a kunai, the tip stained a pale purple.

"Keep your mind focused!" Sasuke berated from his immediate left. The soul kept pace with them not by using his legs as they did, but rather by floating, sometimes spinning like a top mid-air as though spotting what they couldn't. "This isn't your first time here! Lose sight and you'll—"

Kiba's sudden yell trumpeted over everything, "BEAR!"

And it was a bear, although how Kiba was able to ascertain that boggled Naruto. He came to a screeching halt by digging his heels in; he felt the other crash into him and, as they peeked over his shoulder, he heard them gasp in newfound horror.

A beast had barreled through the thicket before them, a bear whose girth only served to bend what Naruto knew to be true about the creatures. With thick limbs reminiscent of tree trunks it reared up onto its hind legs, snarling, foaming, and gnashing its gleaming incisors, presenting fangs that seemed far too carnivorous for a supposed 'bear'. It's fur was a bristling black, almost in a spiked fashion; elliptical eyes of a harsh yellow twitched rabidly from one genin to the next, almost as if sizing them up, trying to figure out the most tender—

"Bad time to be thick, Choji," Naruto muttered without even a shred of thought, chuckling from of a mixture of petrified disbelief and stupefaction.

It was as if Chouji hadn't heard Naruto's jibe. He stood stock-still, eyes steadily widening as they rolled this 'bear' from bottom to top. In an instant, he forgot all of his jutsu, both clan-centric or otherwise.

"Kiba… that is _not_ a bear," Neji felt it right to whisper, his stance leaning more towards evading rather than physical contact.

Far from caring, Kiba offered the Hyuuga a trenchant snort as he pushed a trembling Akamaru down into the safety of his jacket and pulled the zipper up. "Alright, wise-ass… Just what in the hell is it then?"

"A really… really… _really_ troublesome roadblock," Shikamaru answered dryly.

Crowa growled in his throat all the while back-stepping slowly, careful not to draw that creatures hungry gaze. "Shit… we do _not_ have time for this…."

"I don't think this… this 'bear', was it? I don't think it gives a flying kunai about our schedule," Sakura hissed from somewhere in the back. "What do we do?"

"It's going to attack in about fifteen seconds," Sasuke relayed to Naruto, his onyx eyes reading the bears movements at every twitch of muscle and lip-trembling growl.

Naruto side-glanced the Uchiha, then voiced softly, "Shikamaru…."

When Shikamaru answered back, Naruto didn't think it possible to squeeze so much bitter resentment into a single word. "_What_?"

"Twelve seconds. Plan. Now."

Shikamaru blinked.

"Ten seconds."

The shadow nin brought his hands together, fingertips touching….

"Eight seconds."

"This would be something interesting to see you pull off, Nara," Neji muttered, a system of veins creeping around the side of his face and flowing into his eyes. "If you can."

"Five seconds."

Chouji swallowed, the hollow sound causing the bears head to snap in his direction.

"Two seconds."

The entire forest stilled as though time had left it.

The bear dove as if in slow-motion, its front legs outstretched and ending in some of the most sharpest claws Naruto had ever the displeasure to see aimed at him. Or was it diving for Chouji who was right behind him? Everything seemed obesely slow to the blonde genin and he glanced to the left: Sasuke was busy moving just as slow as the bear was, caught in the act of diving for him, probably forgetting in his haste to that he wasn't able to interact with the living. Turning to the left, Naruto saw Shikamaru, presumably running forward but stepping so slow as he pulled a kunai from the pouch on his thigh—

And then he spoke and time found this archaic forest.

"Neji—_hit this_!" The kunai blurred out of his hand from the force of his toss, which sent it flying a ways to the right of the bear.

Even with the bear howling like a banshee, Kiba's disappointed yell once again trumped all: "YOU MISSED!"

But Neji heeded the Nara's words and flung a kunai of his own. They collided mid-flight, Neji's careening into the surrounding forest while Shikamaru's pinged off in a new direction. One that lodged it deep into the creatures' right eye.

Naruto thought he'd lose control over his bladder when the beast loosed a ground rumbling roar of agony, it's trajectory thrown off, it pulled to the left and careened past the blonde who was nearly flung off his feet from the following gale. When it smashed into the forest bedding, all of them were bounced into the air from the impact.

"Oh my God," Ino muttered, visibly trembling from head to foot as she whirled around, her eyes taking in the beast as it skidded to a halt in a motionless heap.

Not once taking his gaze off that giant mass, Kiba reached blindly for Shikamaru, patting him sporadically over the shoulder as away of conveying what he was too shaken to speak, finally uttering, "Quick thinkin', Shika. G-good to see that brain of yours hasn't taken a hit."

"You're not the only one," Shikamaru agreed as Crowa glanced from where the two kunai's met in midair to where the beast lay now. "That plan actually saw one of us dying," he admitted, ignoring how the every pair of eyes found him, "but it was better than the fifty-eight other plans that saw _all_ of us dying. Better one death than a full house."

"Can't argue there," Sasuke remarked, although it was Crowa who spoke it aloud, feeling the exact same way.

"I think that shaved f-forty years off my life," Chouji wheezed, one hand clutching the front of his sweat-drenched shirt.

Suddenly, Naruto's ear twitched. Across from him, a gaunt, almost apathetic glint had settled into Crowa's russet pupils. They met each others gaze, that same snake of dread tightening around their stomachs, and automatically knew….

"Get ready to lose another forty, Chouji," Naruto said, practically sighing it out.

Before the plump genin could even question why, his answer came in the form of a deep-throated bellow, a cry that sounded miles away from anything a creature of this world could make. It pitched in the middle, reaching ear-bleeding notes before tapering off into a warbling echo.

"N… no fucking way," Kiba grunted, slowly pulling his hands from his ears. "You gotta be kiddin' me."

Where Naruto thought the Inuzuka was referring to the bear, previously fallen but now steadily clamoring to its powerful hindlegs, it took a moment for him to realize that no, Kiba wasn't even looking at that immediate danger. All around them, bushes were quivering and tight knots of trees were beginning to bend almost comically as pitch-black paws pushed them aside….

Again, Kiba uttered, "Bull… shit."

A pack of those 'bear'-like creatures had emerged into the clearing on all sides of the gathered ninja, all of them rearing up, their impressive heights tossing frigid shadows everywhere. Of the ten newcomers, two of the creatures lurched towards their wounded comrade, the one who had issued that piercing call, and, hooking an arm under its armpits in some odd semblance of human teamwork, lifted it to its feet. Naruto felt a bubble of nausea pop in his gut when the wounded bear reached for the weapon protruding from its eye; it hooked a claw around the kunai and snatched it free, a thin strip of scarlet fluid spurting forward to accompany its howl.

Ino took a slight step reverse, bumping into Kiba. "So… it called for back-up." She sounded as though a slug had vomited into her lunch. "Perfect."

"These creatures, bears, what have you… they have a human based chakra system," Neji suddenly voiced, glancing from one bear to the next, eyes wide and all-seeing. "I don't even know what to make of this—"

"Naruto!" Crowa yelled, so abruptly that the called blonde stumbled forward. "Lift your hand!"

_**Smart cub**_, rumbled a cataclysmic voice from deep within Naruto's mind, but he ignored it with little effort and threw a hand into the air.

"Now order them to go away!"

Summoning forth as much strength and courage as he possibly could, Naruto bellowed, "LEAVE US!" and brought his hand down like a hammer.

What occurred next caused even Shikamaru's jaw to drop: the bears encircling them fell to all fours. The snarling stopped, the labored breathing of a beast fixing to charge eased into something of a soothing rumble, and they lowered their heads, gazes to the ground. Even the injured creature went through the same motions; and then, in unison, all eleven beasts began to scoot backwards in an odd shuffle.

When the last disturbed hedge had stilled and they were alone, Naruto and the others were still frozen. Akamaru poked his head up from Kiba's jacket, cautiously scanning the area, and Kiba began to absentmindedly pet him, not quite sure what had just transpired.

Ino beat him to it, staring from Crowa to Naruto. "And just what was _that_ all about?" Miming his actions, she lifted her own hand and brought it down. "What was that…?"

"Was that some sort of genjutsu?" Sakura wondered.

Crowa had only opened his mouth to speak when Shikamaru flipped open a latch on his chunin vest. Instead of a scroll, a tightly wound roll of gauze slid out and he began flicking more pockets open, revealing a rather large amount of medical supplies instead of the usual scriptures and shinobi equipment.

"Look. It doesn't matter _how_ he did it," Shikamaru began tersely, tossing each of them some wrap and bandages as needed, "all that matters is he did. Here. We'd better cover any wounds we have. I wouldn't put it past this forest to get us infected in a heartbeat."

Feeling a cold patch of sweat gathering at his back, Naruto stared straight ahead, watching the others tend to their wounds as Sakura fixed a large, square bandage to his cheek. He heard her suck her teeth with annoyance and could only assume it was already stained with blood. He almost laughed.

He didn't because the fox within was speaking.

_**You forget what you hold within you, little one. **_Naruto blanched, answering negatively when Sakura asked if it stung_**. I am the beast that rules all beasts. And I reside within your malnourished flesh. What does this tell you…? Do try and keep your idiocy bound during this little adventure of yours; it might spell our end.**_

Sighing, Chouji collapsed onto an overturned tree trunk and pulled his forehead protector off. The moment he did, his hair leapt up almost as if sentient, shooting back in a rather tufty fashion with a few renegade strands leaking down into his face. He wiped away the sweat glistening on his forehead and glanced up, wondering if he would ever get to taste barbecued pork again when he noticed his vision was obscured by a wash of dark purple.

"What the—"

He was silenced when hands began roaming over his scalp in an almost massaging fashion. Giving into the shivers running down his spine, Chouji adopted a somewhat dimwitted smile, one that coerced a tired giggle from Ino when she looked down and saw that he was apparently pleased by his ministrations.

"Your hair… it's fabulous," she spoke, forcing herself to be heard when Neji, Crowa, and Shikamaru started up a heated argument over what classified as a 'viable' wound.

Chouji felt his face burn a little and prayed he wasn't blushing. "I… it's just hair," he got out awkwardly. He tried to say more but she suddenly switched speeds, pressing harder, nearly scratching, and he had to clamp his lips shut to keep from groaning.

"Then, as repentance for dragging me out here to this sweat-tastic hell… you'll wear your headband the normal way from now on," she declared. "It's downright criminal to keep this hair confined to something that, no offense, looked like women's panties…."

Chouji glanced up through his bangs at her, citing her debonair smirk. So it was his fault she willingly chose to come to the Forest of Death? It was his fault she was nearly mauled a few minutes ago? Her fingers were doing things to his head that shouldn't be possible by the human hand, and because of this Chouji only nodded.

"I figured you'd see it my way," he heard her coo, sounding some miles away.

It took Naruto a solid four minutes to break up the three-way argument between the members of his group, during which all four of them suffered more scraps than they previously had. The amount of time spent dealing with those… 'bear'-like creatures had done entirely nothing but waste energy. The sun was still just as high in sky as before and continually beating the sweat out of them as they ran, their legs a trained blur.

Pulling a front flip over a tangle of spiked vines, Kiba hollered, "How much longer, Crowa? I may be good at running but it gets old after about ten miles!"

It was a question asked by one person and yet it seemed to ring seven more times, once for every member of the squad. Crowa arched his head back, nostrils flaring. Ever since tangling with that blasted snake kunoichi he'd had her scent jammed in the back of his throat; it wasn't altogether unpleasant, more pheromonal if anything. It was their guide, not him. He hadn't a clue as to where they were headed—up, down, left, right—and relied solely on his nose.

He growled. This was more than a little vexing. Her scent filled him with a type of fear that he hadn't felt since his kit days… and while it instilled fear it also felt as though she had a commanding, yet voluptuary, finger under his chin, one that confused his animal instincts.

"She is _not_ my master," he voiced in a snarl.

"What?" Kiba called, oblivious. "Speak up! I can't hear you!"

Catching himself, Crowa sniffed the air. "It shouldn't be more than a couple—"

His eyes widened.

"STOP!"

On his command, Naruto put on the brakes and glanced up as a storm of shuriken fell from the sky itself; the sun was blotted out and his ears were full of the sound of flying metal. A kunai was suddenly in his hands, in all of their hands, and each of them bore calculating looks, no doubt assessing which projectile they'd be able to deflect and which would pierce where and how deep.

"Protect your head and neck," he heard Sasuke utter.

Naruto immediately leapt to the left to avoid being skewered by six shuriken but winced when two of them sank into the back of his calf. That was okay. It'd been planned for. He stumbled a bit, swiping his kunai overhead to parry another wave as Sakura planted a foot on Chouji's shoulder to launch herself high into the air. She twirled like a spinning top, knocking countless shuriken aside while suffering a few minor gashes to her outstretched arms—

"Hakke Kūshō!"

A wide opening was blown into the hail of shuriken when Neji fired a volley of chakra from his palms directly above him; everyone instantly gathered into it, backs touching, gazes keen for any stray projectiles.

When the last shuriken struck the earth and the air was once again clear, Naruto gazed around, ignoring his thudding heart and took in a rather comical sight. The entire clearing was riddled with enough shuriken to equip a small army.

_Now who d'ya suppose set this up, Ghosuke?_

Sasuke snorted. _I don't even need two guesses…._

"Quick thinkin', Neji," Kiba commended, glancing down his jacket to make sure his companion was alright. When a pink tongue reached up, licking the tip of his nose, he smiled. "Good boy!"

Neji nodded, glancing around. "Anyone seriously injured?"

"A few cuts, nothing major," Chouji responded, inspecting the splotches of blood seeping into the bandages around his arms.

Sasuke pointed to Naruto's right leg. _You got a little… it's two of them in there, you know._

_Gee, thanks for telling me,_ Naruto thought sarcastically, bending over. _Because I totally couldn't fucking feel it for myself. _He gripped the first kunai and tugged. The pain made his toes clench. He sucked his teeth and wrenched the second free. After a mental countdown of seven seconds, both wounds were completely gone.

_**You are welcome, little one**_.

_You're doin' it for yourself_, Naruto reminded bluntly.

_**And that fact somehow absolves you from your manners? Pity.**_

It was perhaps a good thing that Kiba suddenly shouted because Naruto had been on the verge of verbally telling his tenant to shut up: "She's here!"

Crowa's head whipped around as though expecting to see something through the thick copse, his hands busily trying to disentangle a shuriken from his tail. "Where? How can you tell?"

Kiba's nose twitched, eyes narrowing into slits. "Never underestimate an Inuzuka's olfactory sense. I smell snakes…."

And he was spot on. It wasn't a particular scent that could be placed with a 'smell', but rather a _feeling_, and it brought to mind a pair of glistening fangs….

"She must be masking her natural scent, then," Crowa muttered to Naruto who responded with a nod.

"Uh… guys?" Chouji pointed in front of him, indicating to a rather large swarm of snakes slithering towards them. He then pointed to the left… then the right… then behind him, all points where a staggeringly varied amount of snakes were making themselves known, hissing and snapping their jaws like bear traps as they slid over the frayed grass. "Snakes…."

"If you're going to point out the obvious then at least do it properly, Akimichi," Neji got out through gritted teeth. His Byakugan scanned a number of snakes in an instant, the different types flashing before his knowledgeable mind. "They're all poisonous."

Sakura had pulled out a kunai with a trembling hand, her face oddly expressionless. "So I guess it goes without saying to not get bitten…."

"It could go without saying, sure, but it doesn't mean it won't happen," Shikamaru pointed out, watching as the snakes came to a halt, keeping them in a tight circle.

_Sasuke_, Naruto thought, glancing up at the soul as he hovered above them all, _is there anyway out of this?_

Falling back down in-between Kiba and Ino, Sasuke sucked his teeth. _Plenty. But you'd have to be dead to pull it off_.

Crowa's ear twitched to Sasuke's words and he scowled. "Fuck."

_**For a kit that wants to overcome prejudice and rule an entire village, you give 'dense' a whole new meaning**_. Naruto jerked but said nothing. _**Your saving grace is here, little one**_.

The snakes suddenly lowered themselves, eyes trained on the morsels before them. And then a voice echoed out in the silence, emanating from everywhere.

"My, my… just look at the tasty little morsels who've gotten lost on the snakes plate." It was a feminine voice as far as the tingle running down Naruto's spine could figure, a feminine voice cooed out in a seductive drawl that for unknown reasons caused his cheeks to flare up.

"Troublesome woman," Shikamaru uttered, his face turning a very bleak red.

She spoke again. "Who will go first, my pets? Would you like some prized Hyuuga blood? Or perhaps the blood of a wild deer? Then again… maybe fox blood is more your pleasure." And with a witch's cackle, she dropped from the sky, landing within spitting distance of Naruto.

Her chakra pressure was through the roof and it was with some trouble that he managed to look into Anko Mitarashi's face. She was smiling down at him with all the malice of a killer.

"Goodness but you are the dense one," she said, almost echoing the fox's words, and she put a finger under his chin. The simplest touch from this woman caused Naruto to jerk in more ways than one. "So deliciously stupid. It's a marvel you haven't been killed yet, kit." She flicked him playfully on the bottom lip. He took it without a word. "I thought I made it quite clear that if you showed your face to me again I would kill you..."

**XXX**


	24. Second Bite

Future Plans

Chapter 24: Second Bite

**XXX**

It took a moment for Naruto quell his beating heart, and even longer for him to find the right words. He heard her question clearly; with his body pulsing an almost unhealthy amount of adrenaline into every crevice he had, his senses were well beyond what a human could sustain. Multiple heartbeats thudded against his ears, the air was oddly fragrant with the scent of whatever this woman was wearing today, and he was oddly aware of every muscle in his body.

_I've inhaled thirty-eight times since she showed herself_, he realized with a dull pang.

"That's good, that's really swell. Now," Sasuke began tersely, squeezed up just behind the blonde, "how about you focus on something that's _not_ totally fucking trivial?"

The sneer twisted onto Anko's lips grew darker and she bent over towards the silent blonde genin, her exuberant eyes boring into his before flashing to a point just over his left shoulder and back again. In that one moment, Naruto felt sure she'd spotted Sasuke and tensed when her lips parted—

"I asked you a question, kit." She whispered it, deliberately blowing her candied breath over his face. He flinched, nose twitching. "Or did you simply come here with this little entourage to die…?"

No one came to Naruto's rescue where speaking was concerned, and with good reason. The snakes encircling them were poised to strike, the air ablaze with the sound of hissing as their forked tongues flickered in and out, just waiting for one of them to step out of line or for their mistress to give the word.

Something jabbed Naruto in the side and for one wild second he thought he'd been bit by a snake, but it was actually Shikamaru elbowing him. The pain got his voice working.

"A-A-Anko-san—" he stuttered but she put a finger to his lips.

"'San'…? Oh no, that's not giving me my proper respect," Anko mused, straightening up with a hand to her hips. She didn't miss how even despite his trepidation, the blonde's trembling gaze drifted down her alluring figure before blinking back up into her face. "Try again, kit. Last chance."

On her word, every snake in the vicinity suddenly reared up, jaws dropping, hoods expanding; the hissing intensified, the grips on kunai increased—

"You might want to exercise some common sense before you and everybody here joins me on the other side," Sasuke ground out, and he audibly swallowed when yet again, Anko's hazel, pupil-less eyes honed in on him the moment he opened his mouth. It might have been another coincidence by how quickly the glance lasted but he still shivered. "Do something!"

_I don't know what in the hell I'm _supposed_ to do_!" Naruto thought back furiously, and he felt someone on the right latch onto his arm, their trembling grip threatening to squeeze it clean off if he didn't do something quick.

Crowa spoke, barely twitching his lips yet his voice was clear to Naruto and his overly sensitive hearing. "Listen, she's a predatory creature. How do you calm a predator?"

Nodding, Naruto threw caution to the wind and struck out, grabbing one of Anko's hands and bringing the back of it to his lips. "We're tryin' to bring Sasuke back, Anko-sama," he uttered, noticing the brief tingle that ran through her fingers at his touch. "I… we need your he—"

Anko snatched her hand back, a repugnant snarl overtaking what was once a smirk. She glared down at the troupe before her and the pressure that had once subsided came back full force: Akamaru whined from the confines of Kiba's jacket, Neji winced yet maintained perfect posture, and Sasuke's entire frame seemed to flicker like a lighter flame about to go out.

"And here I thought you'd simply brought an entourage of meals to feed me as penance for even thinking up such an insipid strategy. I guess you really are nothing but a blonde dumbass." She met Naruto's eyes and he instantly scowled at how mere eye contact caused beads of sweat to cascade down his exposed neck. "I refuse."

"Why?"

As though he hadn't spoke, Anko took to walking around their tightly compressed circle, her stroll leisurely, causing the snakes surrounding them to carve a path for their queen. It didn't take a genius to see that she was sizing them up, her almost militant stare shifting from one to the other. She ended her tour back in front of Naruto, arms folded across her bust.

"Why? Are you _that_ daft? If I cant even defeat the man who trained me relentlessly over the years then what makes you think a squad of six genin can? Genin who have only a sixth of the proper training necessary to even look him in the face?" Even if those questions weren't rhetorical, none had an answer for her anyway. "Listen up, chucklefucks. At this stage of your life, you're nothing more than snake chow, and considering the smarts of the Hyuuga and Nara boys, I'm sure they've already figured this out, which makes them doubly as stupid for still wanting to take part." She flicked her hand and Naruto winced, expecting to be struck, but blinked when she merely waved it towards the surrounding woods. "Leave. Get your little snot-nosed asses back to your clans and forget this idea. Sasuke Uchiha is dead, and no matter how you might feel about him, it's better for all of us. A child of that caliber under the tutelage of Orochimaru could only ever become a menace to the entire shinobi world."

The hissing had ceased and every snake in the surrounding area lowered themselves, possibly feeling the ire radiating from the volatile kunoichi. Both Naruto and Crowa glanced at the spectral Uchiha sandwiched between them to see him regarding Anko with a blank face, not a trace of hurt or resentment to be found; there was nothing.

"Anko-sama, I—" Naruto began but Kiba promptly exploded, causing them all to jump.

"God_damn_ it, I am sick to death of everyone tellin' us to go home or to forget things! We can't! Alright? We just can't! He was a ninja of Konohagakura!"

Sasuke lifted his head, glancing at the Inuzuka with a twinge of surprise.

Lifting her kunai to eye-level, Sakura nodded in agreement. "He might have been a bit stuck-up but he was still there when we needed him!"

"What would you know about him anyway?" Ino shouted, her question aimed at the Jonin.

"We shinobi are only as strong as the one next to us," Neji said, sounding as though reciting a lesson learned from the academy.

"It's not about whether he was worth something… he died crying!" Naruto growled out, forming his free hand into quivering fist. He felt Sasuke's eyes on him but ignored it. "He… Sasuke died in my arms crying over his mistakes, saying he regretted it all and that he wished he could have a second chance! He _deserves_ a second chance, just like we all do—and God help me we're gonna find him one! It's my ninja way!"

Crowa's ears flickered wildly and he released what might have been a 'yip', a warning cry for his teammates to be quiet. "I get it, okay—really, I get it, but this lady—Anko, she could probably kill us all without much trouble….Just being this close to her has my skin crawling," he admitted, side-glancing the kunoichi standing there with her hips tilted, silently listening to each of their contributions.

Upon hearing Crowa's rather endearing measure of her, Anko couldn't help but laugh, the sound enough to make their teeth itch. Chouji and Kiba exchanged confused glances but otherwise remained silent as Anko calmed herself down to mere giggles, a hand to her mouth.

"Okay, very well," she decided, and everyone watched as she shed her beige trench coat. It thudded to the ground like bags of sand, almost sinking into the dirt. As she extended her arms upward in a stretch, only decked out in her full-body mesh suit and shin guards now, she took notice of the confused stares and scoffed. "What? You thought Gai and his lovechild were the only ones to train with weighted clothes? Or are you ogling my breasts?" Despite their situation, Anko found it funny how a rather cerise blush managed to bloom in each of their faces, even the Hyuuga, whose left eye twitched. "Regardless… come, then. If your conviction towards saving the Uchiha boy is as strong as you say it is then come at me as one."

No one moved. The clearing had gone oddly silent; not even the wind stirred.

"You…" Shikamaru hesitated, chancing a glance at their captor. "You want us—all of us to fight you…?"

"No, Nara. Fighting would imply that each side has an equal chance of dealing blows to one another. No, this will be nothing short of a quick slaughter."

"And what if we don't?" Sakura asked with a touch of trepidation, clearly only wanting clarification on both ends.

Anko's eyes flashed. "If you don't, then you walk away from this place with your lives, and future, intact. You will be forbidden of ever mentioning a plan to restore Sasuke or seek out Orochimaru. You've already overstepped the boundaries of madness by seeking one of the legendary Sannin, but to think you could coerce one into actually revealing the secrets of such a taboo jutsu… shit, I think you all might be more insane than even me."

Again, Anko flicked her wrist and the snakes surrounding them, the hundreds upon hundreds of fang-riddled serpents, they all began to slither away into the forest, disappearing under tree trunks and through the brush. "Let's not have distractions among us," she declared, and her eyes seemed to catch fire as she reached down into the weapons pouch on her right thigh. In a flash, she was twirling a kunai around her finger. "Word of warning: I'm looking to see just how strong your conviction is for this, so you clumps of snake shit better come at me as though I'd just buttfucked all your mothers. Because without me, you'll never get to within a lands distance of Orochimaru."

**XXX**


	25. Third Bite

Future Plans

A/N: Beta'd by KishinoKurobi. The same person responsible for getting my lazy ass in gear. Cheers to ya.

Chapter 25: Third Bite

**XXX**

Naruto eyed Anko cautiously, processing her words within the comfort of his mind. He was thinking surprisingly clearly right now, as if the terror he was feeling had all fled and left him with total serenity. A calm before the storm.

"Well, then. I guess it goes like this." He bent over, hooking a thumb into the back of his shoes before stepping out and carelessly tossing the entire sandal off to the side before repeating the process with the other sandal. The others watched in silence when he pulled out a single kunai and stabbed into his pants, using a surgeon's precision to turn them into nothing more than a pair of weighted shorts. He straightened up, glancing around his group.

"If ya gotta fight, might as well be comfortable." Sensing the change in mood, the others began to break from the overwhelming terror that had kept them locked down.

Crowa was second to move, silently kicking off his own zori before shedding his entire shirt, tossing the sweat-soaked garment towards the designated clothing pile.

The others soon followed suit without needing to be told, each of them stripping off their shoes and differing amounts of clothing; Choji whipped off his jacket, pulling from one of the pockets a hotdog that he quickly, viciously shoved into his mouth as though it might be his last.

Anko watched as the trespassers readied themselves for battle, sporting a small, approving grin

Kiba, clad only in a sweat-stained shirt and shorts, pulled a kunai from his tools pouch.

When the others turned to him, their looks practically inquiring the need for lethal weaponry, Kiba only frowned.

"Crowa, bein' a fox hybrid as I take it you are, you must got good senses. But a fox can't beat a canine's nose. You guys can't smell what I can. There's a massive cloak of killing chakra surrounding her, it's practically throbbing… When she attacks I would highly suggest you protect your jugular because she's striking for the best kind of blood here."

His words were met with skeptical mutterings but it was Ino who openly laughed, slapping the Inuzuka over the back.

"Come on, Kiba, relax would ya? Anko-san wouldn't do anything like that," she giggled reassuringly.

"The Inuzuka mutt has a rather sharp nose, I must admit," Anko nodded, smirking a toothy grin, "and he is quite right." Ino's laughter died away with a high-pitched squeak. "As it stands, regardless of your intentions, you're still trespassers in a 'forbidden' forest, and it's my hobby — pardon, my _job_ to deal with trespassers as I see fit. Killing just comes with the territory."

Almost before she could finish talking, every genin present had picked up a weapon, kunai tips glistening in the sunlight that could filter through the thick canopy.

"There we go," Anko said with an approving purr, and her body fell into the infamous Hebi stance. Her change of form sent an almost physical wave of carnivorous chakra and killing intent crashing into them and their bodies trembled, hearts raced.

"Now. Let's begin!"

**XXX**

The day had started out hot and traversing the Forbidden Forest with it's dense foliage and high humidity trapped heat in pockets that instantly brought sweat from the pores of any foolish or brave enough to come exploring.

However, exploring may have been the wrong term to describe the motives behind the current group of genin trying to stealthily navigate their way towards the heart of this jungle. They were on a hunt for answers, fed up and tired of being left out of the proceedings headed by their clanmates and wanted to know what in the world was going on.

"It's a good thing Ino left us that note at Naruto's; We don't exactly have Kiba's nose to fall back on." Tenten shouted over the whipping winds as she and her entourage sped through the trees, hopping from branch to branch.

Hinata nodded; the Hyuuga heiress having surprised everyone with her vehement insistence on aiding in trying to figure out what Naruto and the others were hiding. She trailed just behind Rock Lee who was right on the heels of their current leader, Shino, who reluctantly took the helm. Of the almost jarringly vast amount of insects that resided within the Forbidden Forest, his clan commanded a great majority of them in one way or another, through the various branches of his lineage, and he used the ones that his branch controlled to siphon information and paint a path to their fellow genin.

Swinging by his arms instead of leaping like his fellows, Rock Lee's rather bushy eyebrows knitted in slight annoyance. "If their bright flames of youth have driven them to come together in some new regiment of training then I shall join in and assist!" he thrilled, moving from tree to tree like a monkey on a mission.

"I don't think it's training, Lee," said Tenten.

Again, Hinata nodded, her ocular senses pushed to the very edge of awakening her blood limit but not quite; a few veins had begun to creep around the sides of her temple but stopped just shy of her eyes. She didn't want to needlessly waste any chakra with her Byakugan if she could help it. "If it was something as simple as training, they would have told us by now," she uttered with surprising clarity, and both Tenten and Shino uttered their agreement.

For her part, Hinata was far more concerned than what her currently reserved attitude might suggest. Ever since Sasuke Uchiha's death, she'd noticed a change in the whisker-faced boy she secretly adored, a few subtle nuances to his behavior that only one who observed him from afar nearly ever day could catch. He'd...something in him had clearly snapped, and with that restraint broken she saw that it caused him to push himself further in training of virtually everything.

That was the leading point in Hinata suspecting this was more than mere training as during some of her...reconnaissance concerning him, she'd seen Naruto in the midst of multiple sessions, practicing his taijutsu against his many clones or else vigorously trying to perfect a jutsu that she herself wasn't too well associated with. Many times she watched in quiet horror as Naruto expended all of his chakra to near fatal levels, but he always — _always _— climbed back to his feet and continued on.

She'd also documented him in the library at random hours of the day, pouring over books that ranged from shinobi history to the rudimentary steps needed to learn ones chakra affinity. It was with minimal effort that she deduced the blonde-haired boy was up to something, obviously something big, and the fact that no one else had noticed — given no one else cared enough to spare him a second glance — didn't surprise.

The sudden spike in his dedication had spurred the heiress towards a brighter, more streamlined path all her own. He would never appreciate her if she stuttered through every sentence, passed out when she saw him or was an otherwise worthless kunoichi.

If she was ever to have a chance at being with him, she'd need to be at his side, not dead-weight!

She couldn't remember the last time she'd stuttered, having dropped that habit a month ago in an effort to work herself over from the ground-up, starting with her most obvious flaw: showing a vocal weakness towards most people and obstacles that stood in her way. The stuttering bridge was easily crossed after realizing the simple truth that, yes, she possessed a great mind and voice, and yes, what she had to say was just as important as the next person.

Her eyes suddenly flared, able to see a distance of fifteen meters ahead of Shino, and she could make out a great mass of violent chakra charging towards them. She clicked her tongue warningly, the sharp sound causing all four genin to break off, Shino and Tenten diving to the left while Rock Lee and Hinata took the right, each group climbing high into the density of the trees verdure. Not a one of them dared breathe when the ground began to rumble, rocks and bushes shaking, quivering, rustling —

Tensed as she was, Hinata picked up Rock Lee's hushed intake of breath when a horde of...bears? To the best of her knowledge, Hinata had no clue what those beastly creatures were but they favored bears with their bristling fur and hulking figures, and she watched intensely as they stampeded by down below, the sound of their combined footfalls reminiscent of thunder. She took note that, curiously, one of the creatures seemed to be running on only three legs, one paw held almost protectively to a right eye that splurged blood. Odd, though she waited a little over ten seconds after the last 'bear' had passed before giving two 'all clear' tongue clicks.

As the four genin very slowly and cautiously slid down onto a lower set of branches, no one said anything for a moment. Then, in a baritone voice devoid of trepidation, Shino said, "Considering those…." He paused for a brief moment, "..._things_ were coming from the direction we're heading in, I think it's safe to say we're on the right track. Let's go."

The others, slightly unnerved, slowly nodded and fell in step behind the bug-nin. As the minutes continued to drag on, all four of them could sense a strange, almost feral shroud of chakra clinging to the air. It grew heavier the more they pushed forward until the bugs were no longer necessary as a guide. Instincts alone guided them and they noticed the trees began to thin. Taking that as a signal, the four of them simultaneously dropped to the forest floor in a symphony of crunching dead grass and snapping branches.

It wasn't less than three seconds after Rock Lee finished stretching, nearly bending himself over backwards, when a metallic clang cut through the silence causing everyone to drop low and look up.

Tenten glanced about the group, her palms flat against the ground. "So, I take it I wasn't the only to hear th—"

_CRANG._

Something sharp zipped through the nearby bushes and blurred past Shino's face; it thudded into the tree next to him, a kunai covered in a healthy spattering of scarlet. Hinata's eyes trailed from that to Shino's face. The bug-nin hadn't even so much as twitched but everyone could see the slight cut on his cheek and the line of blood escaping.

"In that direction then," was all he said before standing, albeit slightly crouched, and continuing on.

After a good bit of stumbling, pushing giant leaves aside and swatting off whatever leech or tick decided to dig into their skin, the four of them were reduced to a low-crawl as they neared a clearing, the cluster of bushes surrounding the area their only source of cover.

The notion of using Hinata's Byakugan to spy was instantly tossed out the window as whoever was out there, giving off one of the most deadliest chakra signatures she'd ever felt, was certain to feel the chakra spark she let off upon activation, so after sharing a glance and a nod with the others all them craned their necks and looked over the bushes.

Even with the hand Hinata had instinctually clapped over Rock Lee's mouth, she could still feel his shout of surprise reverberating throughout her arm. She couldn't blame him, the sight was shocking and confusing.

Just in the middle of the clearing were a multitude of figures moving in a desperate, animalistic fashion like their lives depended on every movement. It was clear to the four onlookers who was fighting who: the missing members of their squads were obviously trying to outmatch and outmaneuver that well-known Tonketsubo Jonin, Anko Mitarashi, who was clearly at ease as she performed elegant twists and turns around her would-be attackers.

All of them were stripped down to the bare essentials of clothing, even Neji, shocked as Hinata was to see, and all of them glistened with sweat, their faces screwed up with concentration.

Splotches of blood shimmering from the trampled grass drew Hinata's keen gaze and it was then she noticed that, while Anko could have most certainly killed each of her attackers, the Jonin chose to only deliver non-lethal counter-strikes to each of their failed attempts, either slicing into their arms, their legs, their back — virtually whatever area was left undefended after an attempt on her life.

"What…what is this?" Rock Lee's voice shook, whether with excitement or dread, Hinata couldn't parse but regardless she had no answer anyway and could only shrug.

Behind those shades, Shino's eyes narrowed. "It's hard to say exactly what they're doing, but it's clear this isn't just some regular sparring session. Also…" He trailed off curiously, taking a moment to push his shades up. "I wonder just how long we'll be able to stand just hiding here as a silent audience..."

No one said anything yet there was a unified shudder when Naruto leapt off Choji's shoulder, arms reared back for a downward slice aimed at Anko's throat that was all too easily sidestepped. He crashed into the ground knuckle-first, a series of agonizing cracks emanating from his fractured digits. Before Naruto could even yell out, Anko's foot collided with his midsection, punting him clear across the field.

"Goal!" she shouted with a ruthless, jubilant laugh as the blonde bounced like a sack of potatoes before curling up into a tight, shivering ball. "Aw, come on now, you maggots!" Her eyes, so wide and bloodthirsty, scanned the rest of her prey like the tender little morsels they were. "There's got to be more fight in you brats than this!"

"Lee!" Tenten's urgent whisper tugged at Hinata's attention and she glanced over to see the weapons mistress with her arm thrown around a struggling Rock Lee's throat, restraining him as he clawed at the ground, obviously trying to jump in the midst of that slaughter. "Calm down, dang you! We can't just rush in there without knowing the situation!"

"Then feel free to tell me when you've figured it out!" Rock Lee responded valiantly, and his body seemed to meld through Tenten's grip in a way reminiscent of his Drunken Fist style. He twisted out of her hold, crouched like a tiger, then shot forward as though shot from a canon.

"Dang it—ROCK LEE!"

Shino suddenly grinned, however subtle. "And here…we...go."

All combat came to a jarring halt when a bright green blur shot across the field, a whirling, yelling green blur. Recognition dawned over Neji's face in the form of a grimace and he dropped to his knees as the blur shot by overhead followed by a vociferous, "KONOHA HURRICANE!"

Just barely managing to get back on his feet, Naruto's eyes flew open, immobilized by sheer surprise when Rock Lee slammed his foot into the back of Anko's head with a sickening crack.

"YOSH!"

Hinata and the others had just emerged from the bushes when Anko's body gave a violent shudder and morphed, her head sinking down between her shoulderblades—

Kiba was the first to yell, madly swiping his arm, "Lee! Get away from her!"

In a burst of white smoke, where there once stood Anko was only a gigantic anaconda, one with a body the length of two adults and scales the color of a poisonous violet. It's jaw unhinged itself in a blink, revealing a set of elongated fangs that sank into Lee's leg. An agonized groan tore itself from Lee's mouth before he was lifted like a twig and hurled over both Choji and Naruto into a tree trunk.

He thudded to the ground and a voice tittered with no clear point of origin. "Well, well, well, lookie here. More maggots come crawling out of the woodwork, hm?" Arms fanned out, what Naruto assumed to be the real Anko fell from the foliage of a tree to his right. He glanced from her giggling form to the anaconda, gaze lingering on its' blood-coated fangs, then scowled as he put two and two together.

"Lee!" Tenten skidded to a halt on her knees next to her teammate, watching as he sat up with a hand to his throbbing forehead. "Lee, are you…are you okay?"

A trickle of blood spilled from a gash on his forehead but he didn't seem to notice, pulling a kunai from his pouch to slice a hole in right legging. Tenten winced. Two deep puncture marks met their eyes, each one pulsing blood with every beat of his heart. Using a finger to catch a few drops, Rock Lee put it to his lips, getting a taste and adopting a rarely seen analytical expression. After a moment, he exhaled, making a fist.

"My flame of youth has seen me through! I'm not poisoned!"

"Of course you aren't," Anko mused, her words aimed at Lee even as she sashayed towards Naruto with an intended switch to her hips. "Although I've killed for less, it seems I've the pleasure of having the entire 'rookie twelve' all to myself… plus one extra," she said condescendingly. She shot Crowa a smile and the worse-for-wear fox hybrid instantly bared his fangs.

"Cute. But so I feel I must ask, would you four like to join in the grand battle?" As Tenten helped a slightly limping Rock Lee back to the others, Hinata lifted a hand.

"That's what we wanted to know, actually…." She chanced a peek at Naruto, and for some odd reason felt her face begin to flare up. Just seeing him adorned with a multitude of nicks and scratches, some of which bled, had set her heart racing. Then her eyes found Crowa, standing at a hostile lean with his teeth showing, snarling almost, one eye closed to avoid the blood gushing from a wound amidst his mop of bright orange hair, and she suddenly dropped all infatuation.

"Just what _is_ this all about? Grand battle for what…?"

Naruto had only opened his mouth when Anko suddenly slapped her substitute snake over its back as though congratulating it, which caused it to vanish in another explosion of smoke.

"Why, the plan to revive Sasuke Uchiha, of course!"

Not even Shino could keep the look of bafflement from his face when Anko's elated voice lit up the clearing. And then glances were exchanged, from Kiba to Hinata, to Tenten and Neji, right down to Rock Lee and Sakura.

"You want to do… what?" Shino asked.

"She pretty much just said it," Kiba said, using this momentary ceasefire to bend over and catch his breath. "We're...gonna bring back...Sasuke," he panted.

"I know some people's flames of passionate youth burn bright, but… bright enough to come back from the dead?" Rock Lee look downright flummoxed, using one of his bandaged hands to scratch at his head. Then he cracked an excited smirk. "Yosh!"

"No — not 'yosh', Lee!" Tenten loudly scolded. "He died for a reason! What's dead should…well, it should stay dead!"

"If Sasuke can somehow manage to reignite his flame of youth to such a blazing roar that he can crawl out of the ground brand new, that'd be a testament to all of our strength!" Rock Lee exclaimed.

Tenten facepalmed herself with a grievous sigh while Shino merely glanced between each of his fellows fighting Anko. With no need to say anything further, that rudimentary mask of indifference settled over his face.

"That's impossible," Hinata uttered robotically, without meaning to, and she somehow remained conscious when Naruto turned to her.

"I have a plan," he started dryly, a sense of fatigue setting in as the adrenaline slowly ebbed away, "and yeah, I know, 'Naruto with a plan, this oughta be good for a few laughs', but seriously, I do."

"But the thing about that is…you lack the talent, boy." Draping her arms over his shoulders, Anko's lips were nearly pressed to his ear yet the seriousness of her words struck him cold as she cut her eyes at all of them.

"You _all_ lack the talent necessary to accomplish anything except providing a few pitying laughs to your killers. You are fourteen, Orochimaru is fifty. Age rarely has any correlation to skill, especially in these times, but when it comes to him it does, it does in spades. None of you are within two spurts of blood of Kakashi's strength and even _he_ can't touch Orochimaru."

There was a persistent wound carved in Crowa's side, the end result of not being able to dodge one of Anko's blindingly quick parries. It bled, not enough to be life-threatening, but enough to blur his vision somewhat and send a few scarlet trickles streaming down his hip to stain the hem of his boxers. There was no doubt in his mind now where this woman's strength was concerned and he staggered up past Shikamaru, sucking in breath through clenched teeth.

"Then...what about you?"

"What about me, what?"

Crowa motioned to himself then the others of the SRT. "Teach us."

Naruto gagged when the grip over his neck tightened and Anko burst out laughing. "Me? You're asking me to…" She snorted, staring at the hybrid as though he'd just cracked the joke to end all jokes. "Boy… Crowa, was it? I don't teach. I destroy. It's how I was raised. I don't know how to go easy."

Neji nodded, his once noble ponytail now but a tussled river of hair hanging behind him.

"Good, follow your instincts. We need a crash course in this."

Continuously turning from one to the other, Tenten's face fell in absolute shock upon hearing Neji's words. Of all the people here, she had expected him to be that cold voice of reason, the one to talk some sense into everyone.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me…."


	26. Fourth Bite

Future Plans

A/N: Beta'd by KishinoKurobi!

Chapter 26: Fourth Bite

**XXX**

There's nothing worse than being handicapped when the moment comes for you to leap into action. It's a corroding feeling, watching as others fight for you while you're stuck physically incapable of lending a hand or, in my case, even a voice. All of this was my fault, all of it, every single thing from two months ago to whatever transpired in the future.

From the moment I accepted Orochimaru's offer and sunk so far as to fight my best…my best….

I can't do it. Calling him my 'best friend' is an honorific term I haven't earned the right to say yet, even if he, for reasons beyond my understanding, feels that's what we were. Or are. But that's so like Naruto, to forgive...to see the 'better' in someone when everyone else is screaming for their condemnation.

Fool.

And I call him that genially now, whereas before I'd have said that with about as much malice as I could force into a four-letter word.

I never believed much in the concept of second chances in life, getting a pass to do some botched up event over again in hopes of achieving a better score or ranking. As far as my upbringing had taught me, life wasn't a school test. What you did stuck, and had consequences of a varying degree based on your actions; an ends to a means, cause and effect.

The cause? Me foolishly deciding to let my thirst for revenge overflow. The effect? Standing here in the Forbidden Forest, an abysmal patch of wilderness that was virtually ruled by Konoha's own Anko Mitarashi, the very woman who now had her arms wrapped around Naruto's neck as she mulled over the notion of giving those who would want to bring me back some much needed training.

A very large part of me was actually hoping she'd refuse. And then possibly laugh in their faces about it. Bringing back the dead was just inherently taboo—it wasn't exactly something that needed to be taught or explained in-depth why it was a criminal thing to consider. And to even attempt to reverse the set flow of life, well…that's how you got such morally upstanding shinobi like Orochimaru running around with forked tongues and seemingly boneless limbs.

Ha.

There was a little inkling, that slight possibility that this endeavor of theirs would take them down paths better left untraveled. There were only three outcomes to this: they revived me, they succumbed to the task and perished, or they obtained whatever power that was necessary and thirsted for more of it—and none of those options entirely pleased me, to be honest. Obviously the loss of life option was pressing, but then again, losing ones self to such a corrupted evil…well, that's how you get shinobi like me. And I didn't want to chance any of them going through what I did.

But still, I stood silent, as silent as the others in wait of Anko's answer. If fate loved me, she'd say no. If fate despised me, she'd say—

**XXX**

There was nothing Anko's keen gaze didn't pick up as she scanned the gathered genin before her, and the one rooster-haired chunin. Thrice her eyes flitted over the spiritual form of Sasuke; he stood stock still, a set of tremors rolling through his bright, pellucid body. Ever since willingly sacrificing himself during that duel with Naruto in some misguided form of repentance, she'd kept tabs on that spectral blob of wasted vengeance, noticing a distinct change in his usual behavior.

To that, she had to give him some modicum of recognition. If death wasn't enough to cause one to reevaluate their life to figure out just where they completely fucked up at, nothing was. And as tough a lesson as it was, the Uchiha seemed to be learning it well enough.

Well enough to earn a second chance? Hell no. That idea was still laughable and forever would be. Death was death for a reason.

Well enough to spend some time training this ragtag group of wannabe shinobi that wished to find her sensei? Now that… was interesting. Even if at the end of this manhunt there were some child-sized coffins to be filled, if it meant she got the chance to settle things with her dear old mentor…

There was no denying their conviction, at least. However foolhardy, they _did_ deem this task worthy enough to risk their lives against the infamous 'snake bitch'; that alone spoke volumes of their drive. They were either really determined, or outrageously stupid.

_I suppose we'll find out_, she mused, then, "From what I heard of the failed little mission to retrieve the Uchiha, it was a squad of five, yes?" She began to lean over Naruto, using the top of his head as a chin rest. When no one directly answered, she lifted a hand in Shikamaru's direction. "You were the team leader, right?"

Everyone turned to Shikamaru who stood there, chest heaving as he struggled to his catch his breath. If there was one thing about the Nara boy that Anko had learned from their earlier session, it was that his ability to form judicious plans was no mere gossip amongst the Jonin and extended to in the moment as well. Granted, those strategies weren't as well polished or as effective as one of the more thought-out ones, but still, he was clearly head and shoulders above most full-grown Chunin she knew, hell, some Jonin as well.

His lips parted. "Yeah, I was team leader." The admittance came bitterly and his eyes tightened.

"Don't sound so castrated over it, boy," Anko scolded, her hips beginning to wiggle side to side as she once again met eyes ever so briefly with Sasuke who jumped. She loved doing that, making him tense with the prospect of being seen. "You led your team to the best of your abilities, annnnd against Orochimaru's shit-tastic elite no less. Everything that happened was pretty much expected. To this day I still think Tsunade-dono must've been gone off her sake stash to send genin on such a perilous mission—"

A subtle noise struck Anko in the ear and she blinked, casting a glance about for the origin. When her eyes fell upon Crowa, she saw that the orange-haired hybrid was uttering the lowest of growls, his mouth pulled back in a tight rictus.

"I'm sorry, do you have something to say, hybrid-kun?" she wondered with a smile so polite her eyes closed.

"He doesn't," said Kiba immediately.

"He's just clearing his throat," Choji chimed in, waving a hand.

"No I'm not, don't speak for me," Crowa got out with a snarl, sounding as though seconds away from diving at the snake mistress. "I don't care if we are seeking you out for help…you will not speak of my Queen in such a way. _She_ did nothing wrong here, she acted—"

"—like a commander fresh out of the academy. Yes, I know this. I saw the insurmountable obstacle she presented Shikamaru and his squad, one that led to an unjust mission failure. It'd behoove you, hybrid-kun, to not place your superiors on such a high pedestal; it makes you woefully blind to when they fuck up. And Tsunade-dono did indeed fuck up, she'll tell you this herself. Now," she began, speaking over Crowa when he showed every sign of arguing, "who was part of the original group? This…Sasuke Revival Team?"

"Anko-sama, you can't be serious," said Tenten, lifting a hand like a question had been asked. "You're not actually going to—"

"The spice of life is tantamount to not knowing what's going to happen," Anko responded blithely, arching her back like a feline in mid-stretch. Idly twirling a finger through Naruto's blonde locks she motioned with her other hand, "The ones who were part of the SRT, step forward. I need a little refresher…."

She watched as four bodies began to move towards her, their gait rigid, clearly not letting their guard down for any reason. Smart. When only Shikamaru, the Inuzuka pup, Neji, and the chubby one with swirls on his cheeks stepped forward, each of them standing nearly shoulder to shoulder, Anko blinked. Four…but weren't there f—

Her comfortable perch suddenly shifted underneath her and she had to withhold a giggle when Naruto staggered towards his comrades and turned to face her, taking the preconceived spot before all of them as the leader despite Shikamaru primarily being squad commander.

She put a finger to her lips. "Ah, yes….That's right. And just where do you think you're going, hybrid-kun?"

In the process of joining the other members, Crowa froze mid-step, the sudden pause causing his wound to splurge a fresh line of blood. "I'm part of the SRT, too," he told her staidly.

"Not according to the mission statement you're not. It's a tad hard to be a part of something you weren't even legally allowed to participate in when it happened," Anko responded and there was a cruel sense of pleasure to be had when the hybrid gave an anxious twitch. She could feel the almost burning desire within him to lash out at her, to give in that beastial side and toss all sense of civility to the wind.

_Will you go beast-mode, hybrid-kun…or will you yield to my word?_

She watched as his jaw snapped open, fangs glinting with blood…but then he abruptly closed his mouth and sank into a bow of sorts, as much as his wounds would allow at any rate.

He sighed, no doubt expelling all of the smart-ass quips Anko felt sure he had in stock. "I…have methods of my own. Special methods that can…I can help, Anko-sama…probably in ways no one else can…."

Anko knew she could be a sadistic woman of torturous wiles at the worst of times, which really wasn't all that different from her natural, everyday demeanor, but the sight of someone metaphorically castrating themselves before her, even if that someone happened to be a teenage boy with fox extremities, was always a welcome sight and she smirked.

"Just let him join already!" Naruto suddenly shouted and with her keen vision, Anko watched as Sasuke came drifting up to the blondes side, one fist raised with every intention of striking him, even if they both knew it wouldn't have any effect whatsoever.

"I agree!" Rock Lee said, throwing his hand into the air with a rigid stance. "I barely know what's going on but to leave Crowa out of this would be like a slap in the face!"

The feel of being soaked in so much sweat had previously rendered Ino quite mute with mortification that everyone had front-row access to her person when she was less than 'glamorous', but now she turned to Lee with an eyebrow quirked. "It's been kind of a slap in the face to _all_ of us with other members of our cell going off without warning!" she said, her voice rising with renewed anger upon remembering just how she came to be here in the first place.

"Indeed," said Shino. "The excuses, the sneaking away, the absences…I can't say I don't feel somewhat left behind in all of this, a side player one might say," and even through his shades, Kiba felt the full blazing wrath of those merciless black pupils as they drilled into him. "But, as cellmates, I know my own feelings of unimportance are wrongly placed, right? Because there are no secrets between us. Right?"

Anko would have laughed at the little bug-nin's words but didn't want to draw any attention to herself. _In-group arguments are better than being handcuffed to the bed_, she thought giddily, wishing she had some popcorn. When Lee opened his excitable mouth again, Anko tensed her sides instinctively, not wanting to bust out in a fit of giggles when he said whatever predictably nonsensical thing was sure to come.

"I remember not being able to go after Sasuke because of my leg, not being able to help from the very start; I came in late…but…after the original members of the group sent to get back Sasuke, it should be Crowa in this as well! He's here from another village to replace the very one they're trying to get back—in his position, I'd want to be apart of that, too, find out exactly what kind of shoes I was put into." He pointed a finger at the five progenitors of recovering Sasuke. "I came here kind of upset. I thought my partner had run off to do some super secret quest or that he'd found out a way to forever maintain his passionate flame of youth and sought to keep it for himself! But now I see…you guys are just tying up loose ends, finishing a mission."

When Lee finished speaking he immediately hunched over, grunting as he massaged the spot on his shin where he'd been bit, completely oblivious to how everyone stared at him, some with disbelief, others with astonishment.

It was Anko who broke the silence when she threw her head back and started laughing almost manically.

Past her, Shikamaru jerked a shoulder, a bead of sweat tracing its way down his temple. "Pretty much that in a nutshell," he began when Anko had managed to quell herself down to mere giggles behind her hand, "and also…there's this pact we all made…."

Anko's piercing gaze fell upon him and she watched as he tensed in spot, struggling not to display a hint of fear for her to prey on but it didn't matter; she could smell it on him, on all of them.

"Pact? What pact…?"

"That's what I'd like to know, actually," Ino dinged in, forgetting her immediate hesitation as she stepped up to Shikamaru's side, hands on her hips as she stared at him. "What pact are you talking about?"

The look that fell over Shikamaru's face suggested he'd just eaten some sour ramen, like he regretted ever speaking. "Yes, a pact. I wasn't too sure about the seriousness of our intentions, about who really wanted to go the extra mile to see this through to the end so…." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, towards his discarded chunin's vest. "Naruto, Kiba, Chouji, Neji, Crowa, and myself all signed a binding contract, with our blood. It was accepted. Our lives are on the line here, Anko-san. If any one of us fails to complete this, we all die."

Even Anko, trained and aloof as she was, couldn't keep the shock from her face. She actually forgot how to breathe in the few moments following the Nara's words. She would have thought it an outright lie to sway her were it not for the pure looks of horror that surfaced over everyone else, even Shino.

And all at once, the stuffy forest air was ablaze with alarmed voices.

"You did WHAT?"

"Shikamaru Nara of the Nara clan, what in the _hell_ is wrong with you?!"

"Naruto-kun, I—why would you do such a thing?!"

"Interesting…."

"IS THIS HOW PASSIONATELY YOUR FLAMES BURN?"

"You guys can't be serious! Sasuke was a great loss, yes, but he's not worth all of your lives combined!"

Throughout all the screams, the outraged yells and eyes glistening with indignation, Anko noticed that besides Shikamaru, the others of the SRT, including Crowa, were regarding the Nara with a whole new level of surprise, one that caused more than a few dropped jaws. It couldn't have been any more obvious that even they weren't expecting him to reveal their teams sub rosa.

She lifted a hand.

Silence fell almost immediately. Shikamaru issued a sigh of relief as he dug into his ringing ear with a pinkie.

"Dude," Naruto spoke, utterly baffled, "did you really just do that?"

Reaching into his pocket and pulling out a spare hairband, Neji began the process of reclaiming his loose locks into its manageable ponytail, though his opaque orbs were glued to Shikamaru. "I, too, am quite surprised, Nara. I would have pegged Naruto to do such a thing first…."

Shikamaru hunched a shoulder, stubbornly ignoring Crowa who seemed the most stunned by this revelation. "We don't really have much time to bullshit around here, do we? This needs to get down and get down fast, before other forces of nature try to throw us off track. Dying is a troublesome affair and I've no intentions of losing my life," he stated matter-of-factly.

The look blaring from Ino's eyes could have melted steel; her face was red with restraint and her entire form shook. It was only second to how Hinata glared at Naruto from across the field; her clear, pupil-less eyes were watery, yet her face remained fiercely calm, the kind that was only the beginning of a greater hell.

"Crowa," said Anko, motioning with her hand, "stand next to Choji."

Without a word to it, Crowa staggered into place, struggling to stand as upright as possible. "You called me by my name…Choji, too," he noticed through his pants.

"Call it a kindness. As the six of you will more than likely perish on this road of redemption, or whatever you wish to call it, it would be a shame to remember the dead as 'the six dumbasses who failed', don't you think?"

"We're not going to die!" Naruto argued, though his tone remained controlled, respectful. "We're going to do this, and succeed. One way or another, Anko-dono, but we'd like your help."

And every pair of eyes fell upon the mistress of the forest. She brought a hand to her face and pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes squeezed shut before they fluttered open again and that dominating smirk upturned her lips.

"You want me to help push you lot into an early grave, is basically what you're asking me to do. You're asking me, a respectable shinobi of the hidden leaf"—there were several snorts but she continued as though hearing nothing—"to give some of our brightest and finest upstarts the skills only the truly cursed should ever know for the sake of reviving someone who by all rights should be rotting in hell for his deeds?"

She saw Sasuke flinch almost painfully and delighted in it, pausing to lick at her lips while the others frowned.

"Did you even bother to stop and consider my fate in your mad little plans? Do you have the slightest bit of concern for the dreaded consequences I'll face for even allowing this decision to weigh in my mind?" she asked them all, forming a gun with her fingers and placing the 'muzzle' to the side of her head. "I may as well put on a blindfold and wait to be executed."

For a moment, she saw a flicker of regret sink into some of their faces. The air hang thick with the stench of second-guessing and unease…until Neji, finally snapping his hair back into a proper ponytail, began to chuckle.

"Anko-sama, I'm surprised you can stand there with a straight face and act like the thought of bringing such strife and trouble by your own hands would be in any way undesirable to you," he said.

It was like that time when Naruto dispelled all doubt during the first hurdle of Chunin exam, when he called Ibiki out on his mindgames and settled the nerves of all still present. The exact same effect fell into place and upon watching their faces morph from remorse into determination, Anko giggled.

"Yes, my little Hyuuga, you have me dead to rights. And it's precisely that reason, and that reason alone, that I will assist you."

An almost tangible wave of relief flooded over the six gathered and shoulders began to sag.

Naruto suddenly gagged when Sakura gripped him by the neck of his shirt and snatched him back, nearly off his feet. "You didn't tell me you basically handed your life over to the success of this, Naruto!"

"It d—guh! Sakura, watch that grip, geez! And it d-didn't involve you so w-why would I have?" he responded, clutching at his shirt.

"It doesn't invol—of course it does! I want to help! We all do!" she exclaimed, extending a hand towards the others gathered. "That's why we're here!"

"Speak for yourself, Sakura," Tenten interrupted and she pulled at the neck of her Chinese top, no doubt trying to find some form of fresh air. "I didn't come here to help in some hairbrained plan to bring back Sasuke—he died, didn't he? Okay, case closed where I'm concerned. I came to see what my teammate was doing, whether he was in trouble. And he's…not," she finished with an almost disappointed sigh. "Surprisingly, he seems to be wrapped up in this plan to revive the dead, and, dang it…it's not like I can sit by and let my partner go off by himself, now can I?"

"Trust me, Tenten, you are not by any stretch of the imagination the first to think we've lost our minds." Neji half chuckled, half sighed. "But Naruto has a way with words and I, more or less, trust his judgment on the matter." He twitched like he had a tick and Naruto laughed, massaging his throat when Sakura released him.

"Still not used to sayin' that, eh Neji?"

"I fear I never will be, Uzumaki."

"So…how can we help as well?" There was a surprising amount of composure in Hinata's tone despite the almost painful rage thrashing around within her. She wanted to do so many destructive things at the moment that her left hand was in a state of twitches. "I can understand not joining the original five, or six, rather, but this still concerns a friend of ours. What can _we_ do?"

"You'll more than likely spend time on your perky little derriere and watch as I put these six nice hunks of meat through the grinder," Anko responded, and she spread her legs shoulder-width apart, placing her hands firmly over her hips.

"But before all of the chaos begins, let me make two things wholly clear. Well, three things." She cleared her throat then razed them with gaze alone, her eyes narrowed into slits. "First, by the time this is all finished there will be some graves to fill, whether with your bodies or the enemies, I cannot say, so it would behoove you greatly to not tiptoe around my teachings or you'll shortchange yourself into the dirt. This is a fact, not a statement.

"Second, the previous little session we had was just preamble to see how you measure up, and I'm pleased to say you've some smidgen of talent residing within your malnourished and overly nourished bodies. Not a one of you managed to touch me, which is a shame. Because of this, we're going to do it again with just the 'chosen six', and this time, I _will_ be striking to kill so if you don't want to get gutted and left to bleed out in this forest one of you had better nut up and hit me.

"And lastly," she continued, watching as varying levels of apprehension dawned over their faces, "if by some grace you do strike me, I refuse to send 'genin' off to their deaths. You will pass the Chunin exams before anything life-threateningly serious takes pla—"

"That's such bullshit!" Naruto bellowed, the red of his face almost like a volcano erupting. "That's…that's—fuck, Neji, how many months away is that?" he called, whirling around to the Hyuuga.

"Four months, Uzumaki. Four…very long…months."

Naruto looked as though someone had performed the '1,000 Years of Death' jutsu on him. "No. Way. No way!"

"I'm with Naruto," Kiba said, scoffing his foot on the ground. "That's a bum wrap, Anko-san, what's the point of training us if the serious stuff won't come until months later? What if we miss our window of opportunity to bring Sasuke back screwing around h—"

"You're implying there exists a window of opportunity to benefit from," Anko interrupted. "Let me put your mind at ease there: there isn't one. There's no window, there's no door; where we're starting off, there's virtually nothing," she explained grimly and she noticed that the canine companion of the Inuzuka was nowhere to be seen. Odd, yet she didn't make mention, already quite sure it was part of some sneak attack for the near future.

She bent over and reached down the length of her shin guard, pulling out a kunai colored a poisonous looking purple.

"Feel privileged. This is a weapon I've been saving for exclusive use against my former sensei. Formatted to work against his unique brand of hellish flesh, against yours…you can expect a very slow, very painful death. If you know what a brown recluse spider bite does then multiple it by ten and you have what this little invention of mine can do. Now, you have five minutes. Prepare yourselves."

**XXX**

Her tone left no room for jokes or even a hint of levity and already Naruto could tell she was counting down in her head, prepared to strike whether they were geared up or not.

He felt something tap him on the shoulder and nearly yelped. He was concentrated on the woman before him, but glanced over to see Crowa signaling for the others to crowd around him.

When they had, the hybrid fixed them all with a bleary, out-of-focus stare. "We're not going to win this," he stated, "and I'm not trying to be all doom-and-gloom here, but we really aren't."

Shikamaru placed a hand to his neck, squeezing it to work out a kink as he stared back at Anko. She stood there with one hand on her hip, the other carelessly twirling that diseased looking kunai. He nearly vomited, the look on his face blasé despite his mounting fear. "You'd think me and troublesome had some sort of abusive relationship…but you're right. I assume you called this gathering for a contingency plan…?"

Crowa nodded, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper. "I…firstly, thank you, Shikamaru, for earlier. She might not have let me join if you hadn't lied about—"

"The way I see it," said Shikamaru, "I didn't lie in the slightest. Regardless of the pact, we're all technically risking our lives; the jutsu only made it so we couldn't back out. Now, your plan…?"

"One where we get to keep our skin looking as is would be highly appreciated," added Choji with a weak smirk.

Crowa blinked. "Hopefully it will. Everyone give me your hands. There's no time to explain this so you're just going to have to trust me."

"Done," said Naruto and in unison, he, Shikamaru, Choji, Neji, and Kiba offered up a hand, one on top of the other, and Crowa enclosed them within his own.

There was no warning for what happened next and because of that Naruto almost lost feeling in his legs when he felt something ethereal crash into him with all the force of a tidal wave, all of it emanating from their joined hands. It was chakra, that much was obvious—but in such concentrated bursts, and so much….

_Where in the hell is it coming from?_ Naruto grunted slightly, wincing as he felt nodes all over his body forcing themselves open with a prickling sensation, the surge of chakra growing no less weak even as the seconds wore on. There was an audible 'hiss' rising into the air like steam escaping and a quick look around saw most of their wounds were healing themselves in a way that reminded Naruto of what the fox did for him; even the gash in Crowa's side was stitching itself closed as though with invisible needles.

Giving a final grasp, Crowa dropped their hands and with his release came a fierce gust of wind that whipped through their sweat-soaked clothes and washed over their mended wounds. Only the stench of blood remained as Naruto took a step back, hands lifted experimentally as he gawked at the layer of pulsing red chakra outlining his fingers, his forearms, his entire body.

"What in the world is this…?" Choji asked and Naruto turned to see a wispy thin coating of sapphire blue chakra covering him in the same way. "I…no really, what is this? Chakra? Can't be….It feels so warm…."

"It's your passionate flames of youth!" Rock Lee yelled from the sidelines, thrusting a fist in the air as he stared transfixed at the visible waves of purple chakra that flowed from Neji. "YOSH!"

"No, not 'yosh'," Neji said stringently, his eyes zipping from one member of the group to the next, noting Kiba's pitch-black chakra and Shikamaru's emerald chakra expulsion. "This isn't normal by any stretch, we're losing too much chakra at an alarming rate…."

"Whoa, whoa, wait—people can die due to chakra exhaustion!" There was a quivering note of fear in Kiba's tone and he patted his chest as though trying to subdue the roaring flame-like chakra covering him. "How do we shut this off?"

Brandishing his own layer of pure white chakra, Crowa turned to face Anko, taking some small measure of enjoyment at seeing her twice baffled. "There's no need to worry for your life, I only helped unlock what was inside you from birth and buried under an enthroned perception of chakra control. As I previously stated, it'd take a long time to explain so we'll save that until after we get this over with."

At his word, the others calmed themselves, instinctively drawing in a lungful of air that they held before releasing, allowing this newfound vigor to further perforate every inch of their being. Naruto felt muscles he didn't even know existed bloom to life in the most pleasurable way now that his chakra system was used to the sudden influx; he sank his toes into the earth, never before appreciating the cooling dirt they always trod on until now.

"This feels…freakin' awesome," he said with a cozy grin and the sentiment was shared with the others when they nodded, Kiba slamming his fist into the palm of his other hand.

"Anko's going down," he growled, and Naruto could only guess the confidence that came with this chasm of chakra was cause enough to drop the honorific.

There came a noise like a wind chime going off and a white collar appeared around Crowa's neck, a crimson lock swinging merrily from the latch. He ignored it, beginning to smirk himself. "I think it's time we got serious."

Sasuke sighed, slowly back-stepping off to the side and taking a spot next to Ino who remained completely oblivious to his presence. "Oh boy…."

**XXX**


	27. Last Bite

Future Plans

A/N: Beta'd by KishinoKurobi. Praise coffee.

Chapter 27: Last Bite

**XXX**

Konoha had the tendency to turn into a rather gorgeous, illuminated vista of lights once night fell. That was because of the vast assortment of lanterns and candles ignited after a certain hour. When viewed from many of the scenic and strategic overlooks scattered about, the legendary village hidden in the leaves resembled a rich tapestry of sparkling lanes, alleys and after-hour shops.

It wasn't rare for the Hokage's chambers to still be lit at this time of night. Shizune opened the door to the hokage's office, yielding the view of a room in a state of organized chaos. Again, it wasn't terribly abnormal to have people working this late, but it was the scene itself that made everything odd.

Tsunade, still fully dressed, sat behind her oak-crafted desk. Elbows up, her fingers were joined to make a pyramid of sorts and she stared rather strenuously over them at a crystal ball placed overtop mounds of unfinished paperwork.

Surrounding her desk was a crowd that was steadily growing all too familiar with being summonsed at random hours throughout the day: Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai, including Shizune who carried a tray laden with properly matched teacups and square cakes that she laid down on the desk before quickly excusing herself.

Not a single one of them acknowledged her appearance let alone the inclusion of snacks.

It wasn't until the door to her office closed with a distinctive 'click' that Tsunade blinked for the first time in ten minutes, her concentration broken. She spared the delivered tray a confused glance, wondering why it was there before remembering she had sent Shizune to fetch her and her guests some refreshments.

Had it really only been thirteen minutes since then…? To her mind, it felt as though hours had flown by, maybe a few days.

The four Jonin called to her office seemed to be coming out of a similar state of hypnosis triggered by Shizune's departure.

Kakashi's only visible eye found the wall clock before immediately snapping back to the glowing crystal ball. "It's only been thirteen minutes?" he muttered, echoing Tsunade's previous thought.

"You must be reading it wrong." said Kurenai. "It feels like I've been standing here watching this for at least an hour." But when she looked for herself, she found the copy-nin did in fact have a reliable grasp of time.

Tsunade slouched a bit in her chair, only then noticing the slight twinge of ache in her spine, an aftereffect from sitting so rigidly. But how could she help herself? She and the four cell leaders had spent the better portion of the day spying on their respective charges: Those that called themselves the 'Sasuke Retrieval Team.' The silly name aside, there were no words that could describe the shock in knowing they had purposefully sought out the help of one of the village's least stable shinobi, Anko Mitarashi. Never mind wanting to track down Orochimaru through using her as little more than a stepping stool to achieve that goal, the entire operation had about as high a success rate as Naruto dropping ramen cold turkey, and yet… as the five of them watched Naruto, Choji, Kiba, Shikamaru, Neji, and Crowa duel against Anko, once just for practice and again for blood, not a one could find good enough reason to stop them.

"As their guides… we should be proud," Asuma said, lifting his long forgotten cigarette and taking a long drag, exhaling deeply with a glance at the others, "shouldn't we?"

"Proud that they've such motivation? Yes," answered Kurenai stiffly, "Proud that they're rushing towards a very quick and untimely death? I can't in good conscious say I am…."

Asuma turned back to crystal ball. Upon its surface skipped a battle of such ferocity that ever clash of kunai caused a temporary blinding spark to overtake everything. "This is the most I've seen Shikamaru moving since… ever. I've never witnessed that boy move like this."

"I could not be more proud of Neji!" Gai rang out enthusiastically as he saluted for no reason. His face was covered in an expression of overly exuberant joy, to the point of being irritating and obnoxious.

"I always worried about him and the lack of excitement he showed towards working with others, especially those outside of his cell—but now look! He seems to have found himself a second family within this… what was their group called again? The SRT? He's giving his all for this, and as a man, I simply refuse to step in the way of his path!"

The look Kurenai sent him could have split glass it was so sharp. "And what, pray tell, do you mean by that, Gai?"

"It's subjective, nearly everything we're saying," said Kakashi, speaking first and potentially saving Gai from experiencing the most painful, anally excruciating hours of his life. "We view our squads as personal extensions of ourselves—oh yes, we do," he reiterated for Kurenai had snorted under her breath. "We take them under our wing, teach them our ways and watch them grow. We get attached, and that can skewer our perspective on some issues which is neither a good or bad thing. However, take our feelings out of the equation and it's only a matter of doing what we know needs to be done."

"And that would be?" Tsunade didn't glance up from her crystal ball, focused intently on the fight raging just within its confines.

"We stop this before any more blood can be shed, strip Anko of her rank for even agreeing to such a thing, and severely discipline our genin, possibly send them back to the academy."

As those options filtered into everyone's head, everyone seemed to look up towards Kakashi at the same time. And then uncontrollable laughter filled the room. After a rather long and arduous day of duty, followed by this late-night meeting, a joke like that was highly appreciated: Kurenai had a hand to her lips in a bid to quiet her giggling while the others openly laughed, especially Gai who brought a fist down on Tsunade's desk, causing the dessert tray to bounce as he hunched over.

"For a second there I thought you'd lost your marbles Kakashi," said Asuma, chuckling as he reached out for one of the cake squares. "How did you manage to keep your face straight like that?"

Kakashi shrugged, "Years of dealing with Gai," was his casual response.

"You win this round, Kakashi, my eternal rival!" Gai shouted, defeated but still lifting a stiff thumbs up.

"I wasn't aware we were in competition over that," Kakashi said, unfazed either way.

"We're rivals for eternity! _Everything_ is a competition between us!"

"Is it now? If you say so, I guess."

Gai dragged a hand down his face, visible shaking with annoyance. "That's right, Kakashi, keep playing it cool, always trying to get under my skin…."

Clearing her throat professionally, yet still smirking, Tsunade fixed the legendary copy-nin with a studious gaze. "Now, laughs aside, what is your real evaluation of this?"

It had crossed Kakashi's mind numerous times before to take in the battle between his genin and Anko with his Sharingan unsheathed. He quickly dismissed the idea. "This is something that obviously means a lot to them," he said, shifting weight from one foot to the other, "enough to put their lives on the line at any rate. They're not kids anymore. They're upstanding, devoted genin of Konohagakure. Whatever happens…" He trailed off, narrowing his eye at the crimson chakra bursting like fireworks from Naruto's body as the blonde dodged Anko's kunai swipes, all of them aimed at vital points, "...it'll be their road to travel."

There was scattered agreement and Kurenai lifted a hand. "If I may ask, Tsunade-dono, what did the hybrid boy—Crowa, was it?—what did he do to them?" She intensified her stare, which caused the rooms temperature to nosedive a few degrees. "I'm not seeing any physical changes, other than Crowa's collar, yet the way they're gushing chakra like that… they should be on the ground near death."

It could only be seen as a link between mentor and student when Gai crossed his arms tightly and said, "Isn't it obvious, Kurry? It's their passionate flames of youth made manifest! A clear sign of their conviction towards bringing Sasuke Uchiha back!"

The nickname "Kurry" caused Kurenai' right eye to twitch horribly. She had only lifted a hand to no doubt strike the green leotard-wearing Jonin when Asuma caught her gently by the wrist, bringing her hand to his lips for a brushing kiss.

"So you believe their claims, Gai?" Asuma asked, giving Kurenai a calming pat over the shoulder.

Gai's large, square eyebrows joined like two trains colliding and his forehead crumpled with thought. "Do I believe their claims? No, I can't say that I do."

"Then why—"

"But I do believe they can bring him back! They've done far more miraculous things in the past!" he finished with a confident nod.

"That's more true than it oughta be," Kakashi agreed with a short sigh.

"To answer your question, Kurenai," Tsunade said, clasping her hands together, "Crowa is from the village hidden in the moon. They are a people of instincts and nature, rather than like us, ninja who were born with chakra and metal. What the little hybrid has done, while quite advanced for his age, is not so surprising. Most accomplished hybrids can transmit energy—chakra—to one another in the same way most medical ninja do, except their method goes a whole step deeper, breaking down a humans normal limitations through rigorous practices that our very ancestors once had the privilege to learn and adapt. But we didn't. It took too great a toll on the body, as we are merely human, and their methods were shunned for the sake of kunai and other weaponry.

"True, it's helped them evolve faster towards the long road of chakra mastery, and their younglings can do what even most of our experienced Chunin cannot, but still, while they've progressed spiritually, they're somewhat behind the curve technologically, and aesthetically for that matter."

Asuma reached for his third cake. "Mmm, sitting around on tree stumps all day in a zen position can make moving into the future a little cumbersome," he said through pastry, not without a touch of sarcasm.

"Quite," agreed Tsunade. "With this greater knowledge of chakra manipulation, the hybrids have the advantage of unlocking parts of the chakra system that a regular human might never access." She pointed at the crystal. "Right now… those little brats are supercharged to an almost inhuman level. They're thinking clearer, smelling better, seeing farther, and feeling things that most of us will never experience. There's a popular myth floating around that says we only use about ten or twenty percent of our brain at a time—and while that's utterly false, what these six are experiencing would be the end result of utilizing one-hundred percent if that rumor were true. Thousands upon thousands of perfectly synchronized scenarios designed to take Anko down are flowing through their skull at this very second… and they even have the foresight _not_ to attempt them due to a very low success rate."

There was no denying that Tsunade's words carried a fair bit of impact, made manifest over her patrons faces. Even Kakashi looked like something had struck him over the head.

"So that means," said Gai, "if what you're saying is true, that Crowa would be a bearer of these advanced chakra-controlling techniques?"

"It certainly looks like it," Asuma said, watching through the crystal ball as the hybrid in question, still cloaked in a suit of white chakra, attempted to gouge out a section of Anko's neck only to be parried.

Tsunade nodded.

"Then why doesn't he use such it more predominantly?" Gai asked.

"That's easily answered, I think." Tsunade glanced down her nose at the contained spectacle blowing sparks and blinding flashes into the otherwise low-lit room, causing shadows to jump and bounce around. "The risk would be too high for continuous use."

"Why?"

"Because at his current level, by doing this for not only himself but for five others as well, Crowa has shaved his life by about three years."

Kurenai started choking on a cake square.

"What did you just—he's done _what_?" Asuma blurted out.

"A talent of that magnitude always requires some sort of sacrifice on the users part, and Crowa has willingly—Kurenai, please don't let a piece of cake be the end of you—Crowa has willingly paid it not only for himself but for the others as well. That boy… he must be sincerely dedicated to bringing Sasuke back."

While Kurenai continued to thud herself on the chest in a bid to force down whatever was stuck, Kakashi took a step closer to the desk.

He pointed at the crystal ball. "How do you know so much about this? I like to consider myself a man of many interests, chakra study being a prime one, so I can say with some certainty that there's not even so much as a whisper of Moon-X's chakra manipulation techniques in any of the related books we have available."

"Yes, I doubt you'd find a single word alluding to what I've said in any of the tomes of the Konoha library," she agreed with a slight nod. "Back when humans and hybrids had their falling out, my grandfather, the first Hokage, had any and all traces of their existence within Konoha destroyed, right down to their teachings and literature. Their way of chakra control had at that time proven to be a dangerous undertaking—as you can see—and the council came to the decision that an interest to _learn_ it would only breed disaster."

"And yet, you know," Kakashi pressed.

Tsunade offered him a quaint smile. "Yes, I do. Mainly because the current ruler of Moon-X is one of my oldest childhood friends. Back when her grandfather and mine were still squabbling like idiots over land and regulations, she taught me some of her people's secrets and I eventually taught her the technique I use to make myself appear younger than I am. But, really, that is not the question you should be asking."

"It's… it's not?" Kurenai asked, hoarse from her choking fit.

"No. What you _should_ be asking is how—against six genin, each with the strength and mentality of a miniature Hokage—how is Anko managing to keep up with them. Indeed, how she still seems to be on top of their every move and tactic…."

In unison, as Tsunade knew they would, the four Jonin gathered around her desk leaned in to the point where their faces were reflected back at them off the crystals surface. No one said anything, they merely observed.

And then Kakashi glanced up Tsunade's chest, his gaze resting on her smiling face. "Oh, you gotta be jokin'…."

**XXX**

"WHY WON'T SHE GO DOWN?" Kiba yelled furiously, and he collapsed onto all fours with Akamaru henge'd into an exact copy of the Inuzuka on his back. "Damn it—_GATSUUGA_!"

Struggling to get off his knees, Naruto watched in abstract awe as the canine duo became a spinning tornado of death, outlined with a fiery expulsion of black chakra. The ground cracked and sizzled as they roared by overhead, seeking to tear into Anko's back as she sidestepped a kick from Shikamaru before summarily grabbing his outstretched leg and flinging him to the ground.

"What was that supposed to be?" she roared with a maniacal grin that bore no signs of slowing down or fatigue. "That wasn't a kick! _This _is a kick!"

And she twirled on the spot, performing a spinning back kick that saw the heel of her foot meet Kiba's cheek with a crack that caused all who heard it to flinch.

"Holy—she stopped his Gatsuuga flat… like he wasn't even spinning!" Choji exclaimed, his right eye black and bloodshot.

Kiba corkscrewed off course, following the flow of Anko's kick and ended up crashing to the ground face-first. He barely bottomed out when Akamaru landed on top of him with all the weight of a boulder, exploding back into his bedraggled canine form in a puff of white smoke.

A vicious laugh serenaded the air as Anko kept her leg aloft, rotating her foot. "Your little spinning top parlor jutsu's won't get you far against me, cub!"

Naruto was back on his feet, dismayed that Kiba's attempt hadn't worked but at the same time glad for the distraction. Anko was not above kicking an opponent when they were down. She'd demonstrated that bit of showmanship quite nicely.

"This isn't going to end in their favor," muttered Shino, having risen from a seated stance to crouch on one knee. He lost track of the many times he'd almost leapt into the midst of their battle on impulse.

Sasuke glanced down at the bug-nin, then up at Naruto. The blonde was exhausted, nothing more than a husk of sweat and bruises at this point, yet he still managed to stand after every meeting with the forest floor, which now glinted crimson with their blood in certain areas.

"Do not count them out, Shino! Their chakra still burns—they have a chance!" Rock Lee persisted, leaning so far forward where he stood that it was surprising he hadn't tipped over. "There's a way… where there's a will, there is most assuredly a way!"

Tenten offered an anxious chuckle. "If only the world worked off that type of unabating optimism…."

"No kidding," Sasuke agreed.

There was nothing positive on Hinata's tongue that she could will herself to say and mean it from the bottom of her heart. Just the sight of all of them out there… diving in with some of their best techniques only to be knocked back with a mere flick of Anko's finger like they were dominoes… it was just as unbearable to watch as it was infuriating. She wanted to get out there! She wanted to knock that Jonin flat on the ground and bask in the sound of Naruto's laughter, possibly hear him congratulate her—

Shikamaru suddenly had a palm-sized ball in his hand that he wasted no time in hurling skywards. It drew everyone's eye like moths to flame. He chucked a kunai with the other, causing it explode into a wide birth of smog—

"What in the world are you—" Anko started.

"_Kage Mane no Jutsu_!"

A snake-like length of shadow slithered across the ground, zigzagging over the grass towards Anko—who instinctually leapt back with a snide smirk. Her eyes flew from the tendril of shadow, to the slowly dispersing cloud in the air, and finally landed on Shikamaru.

"Did you _really_ think that was going to work after you paraded it against that kunoichi from Sunagakure?" she wondered incredulously, and it looked like she was struggling internally to keep from laughing. "Come now, Nara boy, I pegged you as the smartest of this ragtag group of snake chow—"

Shikamaru's lips twitched into a haggard grin. "I kinda am. Which is why, troublesome though it is, it falls upon me to think of plans to bring you down. Like this one, for example—NOW!"

Anko flicked her left brow up in curiosity, still eyeing the Nara even as Choji and Kiba dove at her from opposing sides—

"Well, this is a little anti-climatic, don't you think?" and she threw out both arms, a kunai extended in each hand. "I expected something along the lines of—"

Just what she expected she never got the chance to say for at that moment both genin impaled themselves on the sickeningly sharp ends of her kunai, their hands clutching her tightly at the elbows.

"Kiba!" Hinata shouted, her eyes widening in horror at the blood that began to pool around the puncture just in his side.

"Choji!" Ino's voice was just as sharp and fearful as Hinata's, jumping to her feet to in an instant.

The cold realization that the two genin hadn't stopped as she thought they would temporarily stiffened Anko, her head slowly turning from one to the other. She barely registered the fact that they were grinning, their teeth red with blood filling their mouths, when Shikamaru was suddenly behind her, his arms locking like a vice around her waist.

"Wh-what do you brats think you're—"

With all the force of a cannon, Neji collided with her right and Crowa with her left, both quickly taking a leg and holding her—she couldn't move even if she tried, each of her limbs preoccupied and barely able to draw breath with how tightly Shikamaru hugged at her midsection.

Tenten rose to her feet along with everyone else, all of them hardly daring to believe it when Naruto charged towards her, a kunai bathed in roaring red chakra at the ready in his palm.

"No way," Sasuke muttered, his heart beginning to pound almost audibly, yet he was drowned out when Crowa bellowed, "DO IT, NARUTO!"

And he did: closing the gap between the two of them in the blink of an eye, Naruto came to an uneven halt before the snake mistress who was still in a state of shock, unable to do anything but stare transfixed at him as though she couldn't quite comprehend what was happening when he swung his kunai arm. But he didn't impale her with it. He latched it around her neck like a hook and reached up, the pressure of his flowing chakra against her tender flesh causing her to groan, a groan that was lost to his lips when he kissed her.

Naruto's chakra flow, indeed, all of their waves of pulsing chakra went out like a candle being snuffed and he broke the embrace with a short laugh towards the utterly flummoxed expression the snake mistress couldn't hide despite years of training.

"There… got you…."

He hit the ground in an unconscious heap without another word. Almost systematically, the others followed his lead: Shikamaru's grip on her waist grew slack and he tumbled backwards; Choji and Kiba fell over like puppets with their strings cut; and Neji and Crowa merely slumped up against her legs, eyes closed, mouths slack.

Aside from Anko's arms falling limply to her sides with a dull smack, the entire forest seemed to have been dragged under a genjutsu; an unnerving, confused silence had set in—no one was quite sure what had just hap—

"YOSH! NOW THAT'S HOW YOU KEEP YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH BRIGHT!" shouted a jovial voice within the clearing yet, at the same time, one could swear that cheer seemed to echo from the Hokage's tower.


	28. Welcome To The Club

Future Plans

A/N 1: Beta'd by KishinoKurobi.

A/N 2: Sorry about the lack of updates. Finding motivation is a bitch, lemme tell ya. But anyway, enjoy and review if you want.

Chapter 28: Welcome To The Club

**XXX**

A wave of blisteringly cold water splashed over Naruto's face and he jerked, eyes flying open. The first thing he noticed, as he stared up through Sasuke's corporeal body, was that the sun had sunk considerably in the distance, finally allowing for a few gentle breezes to sift through the dense collection of trees.

His limbs felt like stones, heavy and unresponsive, but he still managed to push himself up into a sitting position and take a groggy glance around.

Somewhere between the interim of passing out, he had been moved from the clearing to the edge of a riverbank. The others members of the SRT were either half-hanging out of the rushing stream or else licking their wounds.

"That was a pretty gutsy move there," Sasuke said with a chortle.

"I barely remember what we did to be honest," Naruto muttered under his breath as Shikamaru struggled to pull himself completely onto dry land by grabbing onto a rather thick tree root. "But I'm still alive… that's always a good thing…."

"You damned idiot!" Ino roared. She had snatched Shikamaru up by the front of his soaked shirt and was shaking him back and forth. "Just what in the hell did you think you were doing back there? Was your plan to get Choji and Kiba killed over this?"

"The plan was to 'succeed'. Dying was a necessary risk. We're going to die anyway if we _don't_ do everything we can, remember?"

Naruto continued to watch her shake Shikamaru stupid for a few enjoyable seconds before glancing over to see Kiba, on his knees with his shirt lifted up. Just to the right of his naval sat a particularly large, square bandage tapped to his flesh; it was nearly saturated with blood. But the look on his face couldn't have been more exalted and he flashed Naruto a fanged smirk.

"What's a little scratch or two, eh? We did it, and that's all that matters!" he cheered, only to pitch forward almost immediately with a groan.

"Careful, Kiba," warned Shino, leaning up against the nearest tree. "Sakura and Hinata may have patched you up but you wouldn't want to reopen that wound and bleed to death, would you?"

"I know I don't," chuckled Choji weakly, and Naruto could quite clearly see the wound he had earned like a badge as some of the blood had seeped through his shirt.

Naruto sighed, throwing his head back. "So everyone's alive then? Couldn't ask for a better ending, heh."

He received a sharp blow to the head and heard the unmistakable sound of Sakura sucking her teeth. "Honestly, what were you idiots doing out there? You nearly got yourselves killed!"

"What were we doing?" Rubbing his head, Naruto glanced up at Sakura as she stomped around to his front, hands on her hips. "Gettin' all the help we can muster up in order to bring back the Uchiha standin' beside you."

Sasuke was indeed standing next to Sakura, and they both turned to look at one another. While Sasuke merely blinked, clearly able to perceive her existence, Sakura was left looking through him to Neji as the Hyuuga struggled to dry out his mane, grumbling under his breath about suicidal plans.

She rolled her eyes, fixing the blonde with a piercing glare. "Quit playing around, Naruto. I know you want to bring Sasuke back but getting yourself killed in the process isn't necessarily going to achieve that! You all were unconscious for three hours!"

"Who's playing around? He's right-you know what, just forget I mentioned it." It wasn't worth the headache to try to explain that the spirit of their deceased teammate stood less than five inches away, and was now making idiotic faces at her. She'd see-all of them would see soon enough.

Crowa lifted his head from the rushing stream, giving a firm shake that sent droplets of water everywhere. "We've been out for three hours? That must've taken more out of us than I thought it would…."

"It doesn't matter what it took out of us. All that matters is that—Ino, can you _please_ quit being so troublesome?" Shikamaru broke off to glare at the platinum-haired kunoichi still clenching tight handfuls of shirt, still glaring down at him.

After a few tense seconds, she seemed to sigh out all of her prior annoyances and released him. "I swear you drive me up the wall…."

"Pot calling the kettle black much?"

"Allow me a question," Neji began with a quick scan of the area, "where is Anko-san?"

"That… is a damn good question," Naruto said, craning his head with others.

"She left about an hour ago." Shino pushed up his glasses… or shades… Naruto could never figure out which they were but that didn't stop him from going wide-eyed at the bug-nin's next words: "While you slept, she tried to strip off your clothes, Naruto. Something about paying you back for 'stealing a kiss.'"

Crowa was on his feet so fast he gave the impression of flight. He looked dreadfully weary, as though he expected the missing jonin to pop out at any moment wielding a bloody machete. "Everyone, get on guard. I wouldn't put it past her to try a preemptive strike while we're down…."

"Too agreed," said Neji.

A sudden in the tree directly in front of Naruto caught everyone's attention, and from the thick, emerald foliage above dropped a purple-haired woman, one decked out in a full-body mesh suit complete with her brown trench coat. A dango stick stuck out from between her lips as she graced them with a devious smirk.

"Oh come on, now. I'm nothing if not a woman of my word. Technicalities can get a ninja killed in any form, and that," she said, putting a hand to her chest, "was my oversight. I said 'touch me', yet I didn't specify how to touch me. So by that logic, yes, you accomplished the task. Good job."

Such a raw form of relief flooded Naruto's body that he almost fell out, but he refused the temptation, opting instead to join Crowa on his feet. The others followed suit, with Kiba taking more than a few tries with his legs wobbling like a bowl of jelly.

"Buuuuut, a kiss." There was an unmistakable note of seductive mystery to Anko's words. She put a single finger to her bottom lip, those dark purple eyes of hers trained solely on Naruto.

He stared back at her with one eyebrow quirked, sheer confusion ever prominent. Despite his pranks, which varied in degrees of intelligence, there was no denying he was as innocent as fresh driven snow.

"For such a young man to steal a ladies kiss… well, that requires you to _finish _the job."

"Finish what job?" Naruto responded. No synapse responded positively to her cryptic message. Finish the job…? He thought they'd already done that. "Didn't we already… I thought the job _was_ already finished?"

Even at the risk of losing track of their hunter, Crowa facepalmed himself. It was more a reflex to stupidity than anything. "Naruto, she means—"

"That I'll be seeing you about that kiss later," she finished, with her own words. Then, her expression hardened, just became that of diamonds in an instant. Backs stiffened accordingly and each felt the piercing heat of her gaze as she turned to each member of the SRT. "Align yourselves."

There was a mad scramble to obey her order and there was much shoving, punching and grumbling before the members stood as instructed, shoulder to shoulder.

Out of his peripheral, Naruto watched as Anko slowly approached Crowa, her sashaying gait drawing a majority of eyes to her hips. He had to wonder if that was her natural walk at this point.

She stared down her chest at Crowa who barely had the courage to see her face-to-face, and when he did, it only lasted a few seconds. Judging by the dominant smirk curling her lips, that seemed to be the exact kind of response she was looking for.

"What you did was foolish, boy."

It took a few tries for Crowa to get his mouth to work in his favor. "No… what I did was help a friend."

"Right. Foolish."

And she didn't give him a chance to answer, Naruto doubted he could have mustered up a respond anyway, and instead cupped his face within her palms. There must've been something strange in her touch because the moment she did, Crowa's cheeks flared up like a homing beacon. She began to bend down, and as she did so, Naruto wasn't the only one to lean out of formation to get a better view when it looked like she might kiss him.

Was she really going to…?

No. At the last possible second, she swerved to the side and sank her teeth into the curve of his neck. The bite must have been fierce, judging by the way blood instantly flowed past her lips, though her tongue tried valiantly to quell that, that pink muscle lapping persistently.

In unison, Naruto and others recoiled away from the two of them, formation crumbling like a deck of cards.

"Before the hysteria takes over, can I ask what that was for?" Shino wondered, his voice remarkably collected.

The moment Anko removed her teeth from the fresh punctures in Crowa's flesh, he slapped a hand to it, glancing down at his arm. The veins were pressed up against his flesh, pumping and pulsing blood with vigor.

"That… wasn't necessary," he tried to say with a scowl, but came off looking stressed, "I can already do it on my own."

"What did she do?" Chouji asked, his body posture suggesting he might be ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

With the scarlet coating Anko's lips, causing them to look enticingly kissable, one might swear she were wearing lipstick. "Your technique is severely lacking. And you know this. You unlocked them, yes, but at a cost of your life span, and even theirs a fraction."

"At the cost of your life…?" Neji's hollow, opaque eyes fixed themselves upon Crowa with such intensity Naruto half expected him to unleash some sort of ocular Jyuken technique. "What does she mean by this, Crowa?"

"I _knew_ there was something funny about that technique of yours! This is it, isn't it?" Kiba bolstered. "No way you could pull something off without sufferin' a backlash!"

Crowa said nothing. He only stared fixedly at a point to the left of Anko, applying further pressure to the wound in his neck.

Shikamaru exhaled with a grievous force. "Just when I think things can't get anymore troubling, wham."

Before any of the others could respond, as Hinata looked about ready to faint and Sakura's entire face was red with rage, Anko snapped her fingers. It was a sharp click that effortlessly captured attention.

"If you all want to know what I've done to him, and if you want to have even the smallest chance of tackling Orochimaru, then you'll offer me your necks to receive same."

Kiba was the first to crane his head to the side, eyes rolling. "Do we even have a choice in the matter?"

"Not if you like having your soul sucked out, I'd say no," replied Shikamaru, mimicking the Inuzuka.

"Does Akamaru have to get bitten, too?"

There was no shortage of pleasure in Anko's smile as she approached Kiba, taking him by surprise when she wrapped an arm around his waist and smashed him up against her.

"Please. I'm already biting into _your _neck. I've no desire to bite a literal dog."

Kiba's struggling against her was futile. Her grip was iron-tight, not a single ounce of give to take advantage of. Akamaru was barking at ground-level, paws planted firmly, but he knew better than to actually take a leap at her.

"Your struggling is cute," she observed, relishing his attempts with a snide smile, "but not cute enough."

And a pitched yelp of pain escaped Kiba when he felt those unnaturally sharp fangs slide into his skin like a knife through paper. His body instantly ceased its flailing, growing rigid, and his eyes bugged-

"It's not exactly the most easiest thing to take," Crowa uttered, bending down to wipe his blood-smeared palm against the ground. "If I had to match it to something, I'd say… ever been struck by lighting before?"

As that question was asked, Naruto could only turn to Sasuke. The detached soul had been watching Kiba convulse terribly in Anko's arms with a look of morbid disgust. "I'm kickin' your ass the _moment_ you get back," he muttered.

The sun had barely dropped an inch in the span of time it took for Anko to deliver her marking bite to each of the members daring to bring Sasuke back. True to Crowa's comparison, the experience left them feeling as though they'd been fricasseed from the inside out. Past the pain, Naruto was fascinated by the way his muscles pulsed, how, like Crowa, his veins were readily visible. He didn't feel any less fatigued or empowered but there was a certain lucid warmth twisting through his system; he couldn't be sure if it was his chakra line or what but nevertheless reveled in it.

Neji had a handkerchief, given to him by Tenten, pressed to his bitten neck. "What… what was the point of that?" he questioned, wincing.

"That, my dear Hyuuga, was just proper initiation."

"Initiation to what?"

"Why, to this, of course."

Anko reached towards one of her violet eyes, surprising them all when she pulled out a contact. But it wasn't the contact that caused them all to gasp (Naruto even stumbled back wards and fell over), it was what the contact had hidden.

Settled there in the middle of her purple iris was a white, cross shaped pupil.

Their stunned reactions caused her to smile as she flipped the contact to the ground and stared out at them all. "Welcome to the club, kitties."

**XXX**

**Next Time:** Anko finally plays her cards, but what does this mean for the SRT? They'll have to escape the forest alive first if they plan to find out… !


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